Hybrid Dashboard Summary: May 2015

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by bwilson4web, Jun 4, 2015.

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  1. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    because suv's are more comfortable?
     
    #21 bisco, Jun 9, 2015
  2. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Especially sitting on a thinner wallet.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #22 bwilson4web, Jun 9, 2015
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i have to keep mine in my front pocket, so much cash saved. 70 mpg on my last 600 mile tank, no plug involved.
     
    #23 bisco, Jun 9, 2015
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  4. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    Yes toyota even makes the prius in china. They decided not to make the prius in the US, but produce it in China because they have a tarrif and the US doesn't seem to care. Does it sell well there? No partially because the Chinese don't like buying Japanese products, but also because it is expensive tco wise compared to other cars, but does not have the luxury that richer chinese want.
    Prius Rare Like Panda Prompts Toyota China Strategy Shift - Bloomberg Business

    In the past not making the prius in the US added significantly with the hybrid premium. Higher electricity, labor, transportation and inventory costs had to be absorbed or passed on to the customer. With the devalued yen this extra cost of manufacturing has shrunk. It appears that Toyota and the abe government have decided to keep the next gen prius exported to US from Japan to help with unemployment in Japan.

    EU numbers for prius have always been crappy. In Japan buyers are moving from the liftback to the aqua (prius c in the US) and corolla.

    Let's face it, it is not just gas prices. This is because its been over 6 years since major changes to this car. When it was introduced back in april 2009 there was no real competition in the segment in the US, and it was considered a high tech car. Now toyota is competing with itself with the camry hybrid (upsales so not a bad thing for toyota), prius c, corolla - all newer cars. It also has better cars from ford, chevy, honda, and hyundai that compete. No wonder sales have fallen in the last 2 years. A good gen IV will fix all these problems.

    naw, toyota needs to get the new one out.
     
    #24 austingreen, Jun 9, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2015
  5. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    In answer to AutoLine Daily and their obligatory 'hybrid are failing:'

    Bob Wilson Says:
    June 10th, 2015 at 1:27 pm
    Top 10 Fuel Efficient Vehicles May 2015:

    11,921 – Prius Hatchback
    5,647 – Ram Pickup Diesel
    3,763 – Prius c
    3,174 – Camry Hybrid
    3,152 – Prius v (aka., the wagon)
    2,943 – Sonata hybrid
    2,769 – Passat Diesel
    2,440 – Fusion Hybrid
    2,300 – Tesla Model S
    2,141 – Jetta Diesel

    The full list and trends over the past four months are available at the link on my username.

    Bob Wilson, Huntsville AL
    ​
    This was their noise:
    I don't mind hybrid skeptics seeking any 'bad news,' it comes with the territory. I just share the top 10 and move on. Of course if someone wants to point out the 'new model' blues, that works for me. <GRINS>

    Not to put words in anyone's mouth, someone might also quote 'automakers trying to meet fuel economy standards' by suggesting a return to hybrid and electric car tax incentives.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #25 bwilson4web, Jun 10, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2015
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  6. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Being willing to make a knockoff of any product that's popular - there IS the Chinese prius .... although the quality might not quite be there
    ;)

    The Toyota Prius Faces a New Chinese Competitor | Electric Car Conversion Blog

    [​IMG]

    maybe their gen IV will have 4 wheels.
    .
     
    #26 hill, Jun 10, 2015
  7. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    yikes. not exactly a knock off you would be scared of.

    The chinese seem to like the vw jetta, ford focus, and chevy cruze. VW and GM are making money hand over fist over there, and both have joint ventures with chines companies. The government though does not like or trust japan, is unlikely to give toyota any special privalages as they enjoy in Japan and the US. China is practically forcing them to build a bev if toyota wants to stay in the market. Toyota built a prius plant but china taxes the imported from japan hsd, battery, and ice.
     
    #27 austingreen, Jun 10, 2015
  8. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    When I came across this article, it didn't merit a standalone thread and I sure don't take any joy at reading about a plant closing. But given weak hybrid sales, it figures:

    Source: Workers Lose Jobs as Small Car Sales Slide | TheDetroitBureau.com

    U.S. new car sales are on a torrid pace, but that’s small comfort to the 100 workers at General Motors’ Orion Township assembly plant who will be idled for at least six months.

    Demand for the small Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano models they build at the suburban Detroit facility has fallen by double digits since the beginning of the year, with analysts seeing little likelihood of a turnaround anytime soon. But GM isn’t alone. Ford Motor is in the process of cutting about 700 jobs at the plant near Detroit that produces models such as the compact Focus sedan and C-Max people-mover.

    Further cuts could follow across the industry, analysts caution, as American buyers drift away from the small, fuel-efficient models they craved when gas was nearing record levels earlier in the decade in favor of bigger SUVs, pickups and other less-efficient models.

    “All our other plants are doing well,” said Ford spokeswoman Kristina Adamski. “We can’t build enough trucks or SUVs,” such as the all-new 2015 Ford F-150 pickup that is in such high demand suppliers are having trouble meeting the maker’s orders.

    There are a few exceptions, such as the recent redesigned and widely hailed Honda Fit, which has seen sales jump 70.8% since the beginning of the year. But the subcompact segment is down 3%, despite the overall boom in the U.S. market. Sales of the Chevy Sonic are down 28.5% for the first five months of 2015, the Buick Verano off 15.6%.    ​

    Bob Wilson
     
    #28 bwilson4web, Jun 16, 2015
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    funny how car buyers are ignorant to the fact that we have a very 'fragile' economy.
     
    #29 bisco, Jun 16, 2015
  10. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    The small car market seems quite healthy
    Small Car Sales In America - May 2015 YTD - GOOD CAR BAD CAR

    sonic seems to be down, but the new fit, now built in north america. Its sad that there are layoffs to accompany the new hiring at a different plant, but ... Fit gets over 10% better mpg than the sonic. There are net job losses in Michigan and Japan, and job gaines in Mexico.

    For ford, this job loss seems misleading.
    As sales of small cars dip, Ford to lay off about 700 workers at Michigan plant| Reuters
    ytd (jan-may) focus sales are up 0.4%, and up 1.1% yoy for may. March was simply a bad month. ford has been building inventory so it can save labor costs. For the c-max the year has been bad though, the hybrid is down 23% yoy and energi is down 2.2%.

    Ford has increased employment. These worker will move to other plant
    So it sucks, the lowest paid autoworkers will either have long commutes or have to move, but ford is really rotating jobs.
     
    #30 austingreen, Jun 16, 2015
  11. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

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    #31 Sergiospl, Jul 1, 2015
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2015
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  12. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    Prius C is down 19% in sales from last year. Could it be the new styled front end?
     
    #32 orenji, Jul 2, 2015
  13. telmo744

    telmo744 HSD fanatic

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    Yaris went up so maybe a shift, because oil is still "cheap"...
     
    #33 telmo744, Jul 2, 2015
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    tough to put into perspective without all manufacturers, but i don't expect decent hybrid/plug in sales until gas hits at least $4., i wonder how total auto sales are to date vs last year? one of these days, people are going to stop buying new cars.
     
    #34 bisco, Jul 2, 2015
  15. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Total light duty sales are at record pace for 2015 looking at 17 million sales adjusted for year end
     
    #35 wjtracy, Jul 2, 2015
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  16. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    light duty does not include pickups?
     
    #36 bisco, Jul 2, 2015
  17. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    light duty includes pickups and SUVs with gvw under 8500lbs

    Car sales are up. People stop buying during a recession, but now that the economy is improving new cars are replacing those old clunkers. average age of a light vehicle is now 11.4 years. There is only so long you can hold onto a daily driver.

    Car sales have fallen in Japan. There were multiple incentive programs to trade cars so their fleet is much younger than the US fleet. IIRC average age is only 6 years That means toyota is more dependent on american sales for its profits.
     
    #37 austingreen, Jul 2, 2015
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2015
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    pick ups skew the numbers because so many are for business purposes.
     
    #38 bisco, Jul 2, 2015
  19. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    I think the same can be said about cars. Some of those sales are going to rental and company fleets.
    And plenty of trucks are just plain daily drivers.
     
    #39 Trollbait, Jul 2, 2015
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    but the trucks used for business shouldn't be compared to hybrid sales.
     
    #40 bisco, Jul 2, 2015
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