When Toyota releases its redesigned Prius hybrid this fall, the icon of green driving will encounter a much different climate than any of the three generations before it did. The Prius was once one of the few choices -- and the most obvious one -- for drivers looking for both fuel economy and an "I'm green" billboard. But today's car lots are littered with hybrids in every shape and size, not to mention a growing field of diesels, electric cars and fuel-sipping nonhybrids.
What's more, none of these vehicles is selling very well in a marketplace where low gasoline prices are stoking consumers' appetite for trucks and cross-overs.
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