IRVINE, Calif. and BOULDER, Colo. -

Even as gas prices rise and fall, sales of hybrid and electric cars are doing much better than holding steady — they’re surging, according to a new Kelley Blue Book report.

Sales of dedicated hybrid and alternative-energy vehicles saw a jump of 164 percent in June, even as gas prices declined, per the Kelley Blue Book Market Report for July 2012 released this week.

KBB highlighted that sales of alternative-energy vehicles typically experience a dramatic drop after fuel prices peak; while sales of these vehicles are down from the March 2012 high, they remain stronger than in previous years.

“The Toyota Prius was the most significant driver of segment gains, with sales surging more than 300 percent from June of last year,” said Alec Gutierrez, KBB’s senior market analyst of automotive insights.

“The Prius has been in high demand since the introduction of the subcompact Prius c and wagon-esque Prius v. Sales numbers for the Prius also look especially strong due to the inventory shortages that plagued Toyota at this time last year," he added.

In other by-brand examples, sales of the Lexus CT200h improved nearly 500 percent year-over-year, the report showed, while Chevrolet Volt sales improved more than 200 percent year-over-year.

Sales of the Honda CR-Z, Honda Insight and Nissan Leaf, however, all fell short of figures from a year ago, the firm said.

Overall, sales of alternative-energy vehicle sales were reported at 23,778 in the month of June, as the national gas price average was recorded at $3.54.

With gas prices expected to continue their descent, KBB said hybrid and electric vehicle sales could slow, but it appears the sales decline will be relatively mild.

Natural Gas Vehicles

Meanwhile, the worldwide market for natural gas vehicles is forecasted to grow steadily over the next seven years, according to Pike Research.

The company this week reported renewed interest from both consumers and fleets in natural gas vehicles (or NGVs); interest which Pike attributes to gasoline and diesel fuel costs, along with substantial and growing supplies of low-cost natural gas in many countries.

Also, some governments may be looking at NGVs as a tool to meet their emission-reducing objectives, Pike said, because NGVs produce lower greenhouse gas emissions, particulate matter and nitrogen oxide than gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles.

According to the report from Pike Research, the worldwide market for light duty NGVs will grow steadily over the next seven years, reaching 3.2 million vehicles sold in 2019.

This will result in a cumulative total of 25.4 million light duty NGVs on the road by 2019, the company forecasts.

“While the sparse variety of available vehicle models and the slow spread of NGV refueling infrastructure remain key concerns in many countries, it’s clear that the low cost of natural gas, combined with geopolitical forces, will expand the market for these vehicles,” said Pike senior research analyst Dave Hurst. “Many governments have promoted the growth of NGVs, either by offering reduced taxes on the vehicles or by increasing investment in refueling infrastructure.”

In most regions of the world, light-duty natural gas trucks, such as small commercial vehicles, are projected to outsell passenger cars as consumer demand for NGVs continues to lag. Exceptions to that forecast, however, are Latin America and the Middle East, Pike reported, thanks to strong consumer markets and taxi usage.

By the end of this decade, Pike predicts the largest regional market for NGVs will be Asia Pacific, due largely to Pakistan, which has some 2.7 million NGVs on the road, along with strong growth in countries like Thailand, India and China.

In North America, sales of NGVs are projected to see a compound annual growth rate of 10.2 percent from 2012 to 2019, Pike said.

An Executive Summary of the Light Duty Natural Gas Vehicles report by Pike Research is available for free download at www.pikeresearch.com/research/light-duty-natural-gas-vehicles.