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The popularity of hybrid vehicles is increasing every year and one market in particular is set to be exploited: the soccer moms and hybrid minivans .

Unfortunately, there are currently no hybrid minivans available to the U.S. market of buyers, which should be changing in the near future. Toyota is supposed to be unveiling a hybrid minivan for the U.S. market with the release of the Sienna. Currently, Toyota’s hybrid minivan, the Estima, is only available in Japan.

The nearest option for a buyer in the U.S. wanting a hybrid minivan are the various hybrid SUVs , such as the Ford Escape and Toyota Highlander .

Because of the ample space for passengers and storage, one has to wonder why the various auto makers are not exploiting the huge minivan market and make a hybrid for this market. For the mass amount of appeal that minivans have in the world, it is time for the auto makers to provide the hybrid minivans that everyone is waiting for.

With the large number of minivans already on the market, the advantage these hybrid minivans is obvious. One of the largest advantages would be the fuel savings these minivans would offer buyers. Along with consuming less gasoline, another big advantage would be the environmental savings they offer. By burning less fuel, they would also produce less harmful emissions than their gasoline counterpart.

For minivan-driving families that go all over the city shopping and being chauffeurs for their kids and their friends, the addition of a hybrid minivan to the family of alternative fuel vehicles would be very welcomed to these families and well received.

With the investment and commitment the Japanese car makers have made in the future of hybrid technology, and with the demand the public seems to be making for someone to deliver a hybrid van to the market, it makes one wonder why no car maker has stepped up the plate to deliver one.

While Toyota is rumored to be releasing it’s Sienna model in the United States as a hybrid, no other manufacturer seems to want to fill this huge market’s demand for such a vehicle. (Why?)

Perhaps with the success of the hybrid SUVs currently available, the auto industry is happy as is, but the demand is still there, and the company that delivers the first hybrid minivan should be laughing all the way to the bank.