Gas Prices Drive Searches For Fuel Efficiency Up

Gas prices drive online searches for fuel efficiency up by 156 percent according to comScore Media Metrix qSearch System. Following is the intro to the company's press release on May 24, 2005.

A new analysis based on comScore Media Metrix qSearch data revealed that nearly 700,000 Americans searched online for fuel efficiency-related terms in March 2005. These consumers conducted more than 1.5 million searches for terms such as “gas prices,” “hybrid cars,” “Toyota Prius,” and “gas mileage.” This online search activity has increased with growth in overall gas prices, with the number of consumers searching for fuel efficiency terms growing by 112 percent between February and March.

Consumer interest in fuel economy is also evident in online searches related to hybrid vehicles. Hybrids still represent a small segment of the auto industry, with only 88,000 vehicles sold in all of 2004, according to J.D. Power and Associates. Yet according to comScore qSearch, more than 300,000 Americans submitted hybrid-related search terms in March 2005 alone.

Interestingly, growing gas prices have not completely squelched Americans’ interest in SUVs. [...]

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comScore Networks provides unparalleled insight into consumer behavior and attitudes. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of more than 2 million consumers who have given comScore explicit permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behavior, including online and offline purchasing. comScore panelists also participate in survey research that captures and integrates their attitudes and intentions.