My friend Tim bought a Toyota Prius a few weeks back. Normally when one of my friends buys a new car I don’t feel inclined to write a blog post announcing it to the world, but in this case I feel differently.

Tim does not fit the basic demographics of your average hybrid car owner. According to a December 2007 Scarborough Research study that examined the behaviors of hybrid car owners, the typical hybrid car buyer is older, more affluent, physically active/outdoorsy, liberal and highly educated as compared to the average car buyer.

According to the study:

• 42% of hybrid owners make $100,000 or more per year;
• Hybrid owners are more than twice as likely as all U.S. adults to have a college degree;
• 38% of hybrid owners identify themselves as Democratic, and 34% identify themselves as Independents;
• Hybrid owners are 10% more likely than the average American to vote in every Presidential Election;
• Hybrid owners are generally physically active, with 33% stating they belong to a gym or health club (as compared to 18% of the total population);
• Twice as many hybrid owners purchase organic food than do average American.

In looking over this study, it’s clear that Tim does not fit the typical picture of a hybrid owner. Tim is a heavy machine operator – he operates a Caterpillar Excavator that has a 160-gallon gas tank which he empties on a daily basis. Last I checked, Tim wasn’t pulling in $100,000 annually, though I’m sure he wishes he were!

Tim’s a young guy too – he’s probably about 36, doesn’t have a college degree that I know of, and doesn’t belong to a gym. And while Tim is active (you kind of have to be to drive a Caterpillar Excavator) – he sails and boats when it’s nice – I couldn’t imagine him doing Pilates or Yoga – 2 other characteristics of hybrid owners. I couldn’t really imagine Tim admitting to eating organic food, though I’m sure he consumes it at times – rather, when I think of what Tim eats I think of meat, potatoes and beer.

When talking to Tim about trading in his 2000 Mercury Mountaineer, he stressed the fact that his truck gets 19-20 MPG (highway driving), and 15 MPG in the winter. His new car is going to save him upwards of $300 a month! When talking about why he bought a Prius, Tim says, “They left me no choice.” The cost of fuel has risen so high that Tim has had to change his habits significantly to fight back and not spend so much money on fuel.

The fact that Tim made the decision to buy a Prius means more than that he is an outlyer when it comes to his age, income and lifestyle choices. Tim is the canary in the coal mine – he is the warning that the time is NOW for us all to change our behaviors and start paying attention to how our individual actions affect our environment, our communities and our world.

Car companies should sit up and take notice when SUV-driving, heavy machine operating guys like Tim trade in their 4-wheel drive for hybrid technology. While Tim’s motives may not have been 100% environmentally propelled, the fact is that his actions will have an environmental impact as he lowers his carbon footprint and enters the world of forced environmentalism.