Fort Collins makes shift into hybrid gear.

Hybrid automobile sales in Colorado continued to climb in 2006, outpacing national rates. Last year, 5,667 new hybrid vehicles were registered in Colorado, a 35 percent increase from the previous year, according to R.L. Polk & Co., an automotive industry analysis company. National registration of hybrids in 2006 rose to 254,545, a 28 percent increase from 2005.