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Even if there aren’t many available

Record increases in gasoline prices seem to have had an effect; according to a new Yahoo Autos study, 69 percent of American consumers are interested in purchasing an alternative fuel vehicle (AFV).

Of course, “interested in” is not the same as “committed to,” and in an email to WebProNews, a Yahoo spokesperson readily admitted that “only 7% of those surveyed actually own an AFV.”  Still, this market segment appears ready to enjoy a constant expansion as people shop for new cars.

Automakers are, if anything, behind the curve.  On the American front, the Chevrolet Volt is still years away from production, and Tesla’s electric car efforts seem to have stalled.  Even industry leaders Toyota and Honda only have a few hybrids in their lineups.

The Yahoo Autos study didn’t see the interest in fuel-efficient vehicles going away, though, so consumers should still be ready whenever something interesting is released.  And since Yahoo went to the trouble of surveying 2,949 people, we’ll note that the Yahoo Autos Green Center is standing by in the meantime.