This probably makes sense to most of us. Incomes, gas prices, environmental consciousness, and car interest are all relatively higher on the West Coast, and so are hybrid/EV sales. Traffic is pretty bad too, and cars in general are smaller, which might also be a factor.
So when some of us seem amazed that anyone would buy a hybrid, and others think it is perfectly normal, that's why - it is a regional difference. Kind of like good wine - we have it, you don't :-)
Who Buys The Most Hybrid Cars? Northern Californians, Report Says - Forbes
in San Francisco, where almost one out of 10 vehicles purchased is a hybrid, highest in the country. California, not surprisingly, leads the nation in hybrid sales, with nine of the top 15 hybrid-happy markets in the U.S. These markets, along with four cities in Oregon, plus Seattle and Tuscon, account for about 30 percent of all hybrid sales in the nation. These same metro areas accounted for 41 percent of all electric vehicle registrations, according to Polk. In fact, San Francisco and Los Angeles together accounted for about one-quarter of all EV registrations.