However, hybrids also face barriers to adoption that are common to any new technology, such as lack of knowledge by potential adopters, low consumer risk tolerance (Jaffe and Stavins, 1994; Stoneman and Diederen, 1994), and high initial production costs (Argote and Epple, 1990). These factors have been mitigated somewhat by hybrids’ established performance and reliability record in the US, but price premiums of several thousand dollars over equivalent gasoline only vehicles still serve as a deterrent to consumer demand.