Since the debut in October of the Escape hybrid sport utility, retail sales of the model have totaled 9,501 through May, as customers across the U.S. are lining up to buy hybrids of all sorts and brands.

The high price of gasoline isn't the main reason for the rising popularity of its hybrid, Ford says. ``People have read about greenhouse gases, and know they're not a good thing,'' said Bryan Olson, the model's marketing manager. At low speeds the vehicle runs on its battery only; at rest, the engine shuts down.