Wisconsin gas prices $5+, electric, hybrid vehicle interest grows

BROOKFIELD, Wis. - With prices for regular gas topping $5 per gallon in the Milwaukee area, some are looking for ways to cut down or not use gas at all.

Gas prices are getting high enough that one car saleswoman said people are looking for cars that use less gas.

Revving that engine is getting more and more expensive.

"It really hurts the pocket, though," said a driver. "It does. It really hurts the pocket."

"Do gas stations accept pocket lint?" said a driver. "Because I would love to give them pocket lint."

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Jackie Day, a sales consultant with City Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat of Brookfield, said what she hears from customers is shifting.

"People are definitely looking for more four-cylinders, more hybrid vehicles," said Day.

She said they have a lot of requests on the Grand Cherokee 4xe, a hybrid they have on order.

"I’m not surprised at all," said Day. "We’ve definitely seen more interest in our 4xes, the Pacifica hybrids, as well, especially with a lot of families who want to travel."

"They want us to switch over to this stuff, and a lot of people can’t afford that type of stuff," said a driver.

Still, the gas prices are enough to make some drivers consider turning over to hybrid or fully electric cars down the road.

"Oh, most definitely. Most definitely," said the driver.

"If gas prices stay where they are and continue their trend, I think we’re going to see this trend continue, as well," said Day.

By about 2035, one industry analysis shows nearly half of new car sales could be electric, according to Reuters. There's still a long way to go. Though sales for electric and hybrid cars are on an upward trend, less than 1% of cars on the roads in the U.S. are electric.