California has long been considered an eco-conscious state, and it seems that many of its residents feel the same way. In 2012, the Toyota Prius was the best-selling vehicle in California, wrestling the title away from the two-year champion Honda Civic.
According to USA Today, more than 60,600 Prius hybrids were sold in the state last year, which is nearly one out of every five subcompact cars in California. Once considered to be too unique and require too much vehicle maintenance to be a practical choice for drivers, the Prius is quickly becoming popular across the country.
With a hybrid at the top of the list and several other passenger cars filling out the rest of the top 10, the California market has shown itself to be more focused on fuel efficiency and environmental impact than the rest of the U.S.
"Environmental consciousness and changing trends are large contributors," Peter Welch, chief executive of the California New Car Dealers Association, told The Los Angeles Times. "Eight years ago everyone was driving sport utilities and trucks, now it's almost trendy to drive a fuel-efficient hybrid or plug-in."