You know what they say about making assumptions. It's a practice that rarely turns out well for anyone.
A recent study by the automotive web site Autobytel clearly demonstrates the point by debunking assumptions about who drives hybrid cars.
For one, hybrids are not a California thing, even if the odd movie star is seen driving up to a red carpet in a Prius. Autobytel's research found only 16 percent of hybrid owners live on the West Coast while 31 percent reside in the Northeast; 21 percent in the Midwest; and 20 percent in the Southeast. The only region with fewer hybrid car buyers was the Southwest, with 12 percent.
You might also assume that hybrid drivers are young - wrong! Fifty-seven percent of the people who drive hybrids are 45 or older, according to the research. Thirty-seven percent are 55 and up.
Education and income also do not appear to have a significant bearing on hybrid sales. Nearly half (47.5 percent) of hybrid buyers have not obtained a college degree while the majority of drivers (52 percent) have a household income of less than $60,000 a year. Thirty-five percent make below $40,000.
Forty-two percent of hybrid owners are members of an ethnic minority. African Americans (12 percent), Hispanics (11 percent), and Asian/Asian Americans (10 percent) are the top three groups.
Politically speaking, hybrid owners are a diverse group with the greatest percentage affiliated with the Republican party. Forty percent of hybrid owners are members of the GOP while 36 percent are Democratic. The remaining 24 percent identify themselves as independent or unaffiliated.
Finally when it comes to gender, men are much more likely to drive a hybrid (65 percent) than a woman (35 percent).
Discussion Question: Does the profile of hybrid car buyers in the Autobytel study suggest to you that other "green" product categories may appeal to consumers other than those generally assumed to be shopping the category?
One of our first thoughts after seeing the Autobytel research was that many of those who have suggested Wal-Mart does not belong in the organic food business may be proven wrong. The people buying hybrids share some striking similarities to Wal-Mart's core consumer base. The average Wal-Mart shopper, for example, has a household income of $35,000 - $40,000.