Rise of the hybrid?

I've been spending my Easter weekend in the United States, a land where car is king. I'm in the Washington DC area, and as one might expect gas guzzling SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks dominate the roadways. One thing that's surprised me, however, is the number of hybrid vehicles on the road as well. Now I know that Prius sales have been consistently rising, and I haven't done a proper count, but it seems like they're the single most dominant make of car out here (I've also seen 2 Honda hybrids and a Highlander hybrid as well, but the Prius is everywhere.) I'm not sure what it's like in other parts of the country (Ben?), whether there's a real environmental concern or it's that the hybrid premium price elevates them to status symbol, but this seems like a promising trend. Personally, I'm holding out for an electric car.