There are two factors that play into insurance cost, other than liability. One is the cost of repairs when the car gets damaged. The other is the probability of the car getting damaged. Hybrids do cost more to repair, mainly because they are more expensive than similar non-hybrid cars, but also because many mechanics are not yet trained to work on them so the ones who are trained get a premium rate. But, to estimate the probability of damage, they have to get enough examples (car-years) to get valid statistics. When a new model comes out and there are too few of them to compute the statistics, insurance companies assume the probability is about the same as for similar cars.

However, after they get some statistics, most insurance companies should realize that hybrid cars have a lower probability of damage. I believe this is because most hybrid drivers drive slower, avoid congested routes, and pay attention to our driving.

Some companies already have lower rates for hybrids... I was surprised at the rate I got from USAA.