august hybrid car sales

Interestingly, Chevy Volt sales were only 15% less than Prius V and 17% less than Prius C.

GM's Volt model was #4 for hybrid sales overall and sold more than all of Ford's hybrid sales combined (or all of the Lexus brand hybrid sales combined, or any other brand's hybrid sales combined except for Toyota.

 

Just sharing:

Column 1

0

[tr][th]Model[th]Units [tr][td]Toyota Prius Liftback[td]13311 [tr][td][td] [tr][td]VW Jetta[td]4421 [tr][td]Toyota Camry[td]3840 [tr][td]Prius c[td]3428 [tr][td]Prius v[td]3325 [tr][td]Chevrolet Volt[td]2831 [tr][td]VW Passat[td]2563 [tr][td]Chevy Malibu Hybrid[td]2414 [tr][td][td] [tr][td]Hyundai Sonata[td]1766 [tr][td]Lexus CT 200h[td]1472 [tr][td]VW Golf[td]1268 [tr][td]Lexus RX400/450h[td]1170 [tr][td]Ford Fusion[td]1071 [tr][td]Prius PHV[td]1047 [tr][td]Buick LaCrosse[td]1024 [tr][td]Linc. MKZ Hybrid[td]998 [tr][td]Kia Optima[td]907 [tr][td]BMW X5[td]850 [tr][td]Nissan Leaf[td]685 [tr][td]Honda Civic[td]579 [tr][td]Honda Civic Natural Gas[td]579

Source: August 2012 Dashboard

The part that bothers me are "Take-Rates":

	Column 1
0	[th]group[th]percent[tr][td]Hybrid[td]2.93%[tr][td]Diesel[td]0.88%[tr][td]Plug-in[td]0.36%[tr][td]Natural Gas[td]0.05%[tr][td]total[td]4.22%

Source: August 2012 Dashboard

The real challenge is to increase the take-rate across the board. We're still sitting at a small percentage of the total vehicle market. One problem is penetration of the utility vehicle market (i.e., pickup and service vans.) But the other day, I found a guy at the court house who still believes hybrids need to be 'charged at night.'

Now this raises an interesting problem if fear of plugging in a hybrid suppresses hybrid sales. We're close to the technology and realize there are savings over 'gas-only' operation. But range anxiety, the fear of being tied to a plug, is real in the market we need to penetrate. This becomes the cornumdrum of a modest gas-only mileage of a plug-in.

The other thing to note is Ford only has one entry in the list. Granted Ford is coming out with new models but they are not on sale, yet.

Bob Wilson

 

$8./gallon might do it.

 

Of course, the MKZ is the Fusion equivalent. I drove one the other day and Ford did a nice job, it's very smooth compared to my wife's '08 herky jerky less-refined Prius design. I'm looking forward to test driving the '13 Fusion.

 

Volt sales look good. I wonder what's the lease/purchase ratio because the dealers were giving steal deals.

 

I would consider a volt if it wasn't so small. Just not enough cargo space for my family of 4.

 

So let's see the top 10 for August:

	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4	Column 5	Column 6	Column 7	Column 8	Column 9	Column 10	Column 11
0	[th]model[th]units[tr][td]Ford F-Series[td]58	201[tr][td]Silverado[td]38	295[tr][td]Camry[td]36	720[tr][td]Accord[td]34	848[tr][td]Escape[td]28	188[tr][td]Cruse[td]25	975[tr][td]Altima[td]25	889[tr][td]Ram Trucks[td]25	215[tr][td]Civic[td]24	897[tr][td]Corolla/Matrix[td]24	311

Source: Honda scores in Top 10 best-selling vehicles in August

Bob Wilson

 

My question is how did the BMW Hybrid 7 get -1? Does that mean the only action they have seen was someone who test drove one and wrecked it?

 

Hybrids are currently 65% up for the year, yay!

With new Honda's, Ford's and even new Toyota models, we should get to easy 50k-60k/month in hybrids next year....

 

While that would be good, a big part of this year's increase is due to last years tsunami.
While I expect the trend to continue to increase, I doubt it will increase as quickly.

 

Thanks!

I was not aware of this source:

The lack of a hybrid SUVs and pickups remains something I'm concerned about. It is a huge part of our market and the "two-mode" was such a turkey. Yet the Highlander and Escape hybrids did not make much of a dent. It might be the tax advantage of mileage might contribute to the problem.

I am thinking about making a table that looks like this:

	Column 1
0	[th]model[th]total[th]gas[th]hybrid

This one problem is the Prius family but the only way that makes sense is to treat similar body styles as unique cars. Thus the 'prius c' and 'prius v' would drop off the list or be added at the bottom. I'm still not sure what approach makes sense.

BTW, there are only a few 'tags' needed to make a useful table:

• table - starts a table
• th - starts a header column and ends previous
• tr - starts a new data line
• td - starts a data column and end previous
• /table - ends the table

Be sure to enclose them in "[...]" and no hard line returns . . . a stream of characters. Also, after the "/table" tag without a hard line break, enter something like "Source:" which will start on a new line.

Bob Wilson

 

Honestly, I don't think mileage payments are that much of a factor. If anything, people who get mileage are likely to get a standard rate and be high-mileage drivers and they'd be able to calculate just how much they'd save with a hybrid.

The main problems, I think, are that those hybrids are relatively expensive and people who drive less efficient vehicles are in the group pf drivers that cares less about mileage.

The problem looking at individual take rates is that buyers focused on fuel economy will be attracted by the hybrid fuel economy rather than the model. With make loyalty only around 49% buyers won't pick the model and then choose whether to get the hybrid, it's be the other way round. Slightly better than individual take rates is to look at vehicle classes, noting the number of available models. It's the same situation with diesel, where buyers who want diesel choose from a limited list of available models.

But if you really want to pair models from the same make, I'd pair the Prius c with the Yaris, the Insight with the Fit (yes, I know) and leave the Prius and Prius v separate because they're really in a class of their own.

 

The current crop of hybrid systems just aren't able to meet the needs of some SUV and most truck buyers. Mainly in the towing department.

Take the Highlander. The hybrid is rated for towing 3500lbs. So is the base 4 cylinder model, and it costs $10,000 less. The hybrid trounces its 20mpg city, but highway fuel economy is close(25 to 28). A potential who cares about fuel economy knows what they get in their current vehicle, and probably make a good guess of what they'll get in the Highlanders. That $10,000 can go a long way to making up that difference. For others, $10,000 means actually being able to buy something to tow.

The hybrid does have 4WD(really AWD). You have to upgrade to the V6 and downgrade to a 5 speed transmission. The fuel economy difference is greater, but now you can tow 5000lbs. While still pocketing $7000 difference. Of course, for a vehicle Toyota says wasn't designed to go off road, the need of 4WD is questionable. When it was available, the 2WD Highlander and RH hybrid don't have a tow rating at all. The 4 cylinder can at least tow 1000lbs without the tow package.

Two-mode is more capable for actual truck duties. Even then, GM had to put the thirstier 6.2L in it. The 5.3L with cylinder deactivation Silverado Crew Cab still out tows the hybrid.

Which raises another point against the current SUV hybrids. The straight ICE models are closing the economy gap, and we haven't gotten a new diesel yet. In order to keep the fuel efficiency crown, Toyota will have to drp the 4 cylinder in the hybrid, and admit HSD isn't suitable for trucks.

That might even increase highlander sales. Only because Toyta doesn't offer a more wagonesque crossover or minvan hybrid. Which is why Ford is dropping the Escape hybrid. The C-max others the space with better fuel economy. I suspect most small SUVs are on the road because of the lack of a decent small wagon. And most of the wagons available now are more 5 door hatchback with their shorten rear end.

 

Okay I'm just guessing here ... but maybe you never read what the towing capacity is for the hyhi & rx HSD's is ... then compared it to what the average pick up truck owner halls 95 percent of the time? Or maybe consider the HSD is also used on the Lexus 600 h sedan ... and the 600h has 430hp?

SGH-I717R ? 2

 

Experimental table:

	Column 1	Column 2
0	[tr][th]model[th]units[th]gas[th]hybrid/diesel [tr][td]Ford F-Series[td]58201[td]58201[td] [tr][td]Silverado[td]38295[td]38295[td] [tr][td]Toyota Camry [td]36720[td]32880[td]3840 [tr][td]Honda Accord [td]34848[td]34848[td] [tr][td]Escape[td]28188[td]28188[td] [tr][td]Chevrolet Cruze [td]25975[td]25975[td] [tr][td]Nissan Altima [td]25889[td]25889[td] [tr][td]Ram trucks[td]25215[td]25215[td][tr][td]Honda Civic [td]24897[td]24318[td]579 [tr][td]Toyota Corolla/Matrix[td]24311[td]24311[td] [tr][td]Ford Fusion [td]21690[td]20619[td]1071 [tr][td]Hyundai Sonata [td]19624[td]17858[td]1766 [tr][td]Ford Focus [td]19073[td]19073[td] [tr][td]Hyundai Elantra [td]17989[td]17989[td] [tr][td]Chevrolet Impala [td]17066[td]17066[td] [tr][td]Volkswagen Jetta [td]15446[td]11025[td]4421 [tr][td]Chevrolet Malibu [td]14495[td]12081[td]2414 [tr][td]Kia Optima [td]13949[td]13042[td]907 [tr][td]Toyota Prius	hatch[td]13311[td][td]13311 [tr][td]Chrysler 200 [td]11997[td]11997[td] [tr][td]Subaru Outback [td]11285[td]11285[td] [tr][td]Mazda 3 [td]11120[td]11120[td] [tr][td]Nissan Sentra [td]10623[td]10623[td] [tr][td]Kia Soul [td]10191[td]10191[td]

I'm thinking the BAS hyrid technology in the GM pickups, SUVs, and trucks may make sense. It might bring up the volume and still save a little when the vehicles are lightly loaded.

The other thing I'd like to see is a two-seat, 'prius v' with a pickup truck bed. It could be the hybrid, light-pickup. Then another 'prius v', two-seat, panel truck. Relocate the traction battery behind the front seats and lower the bed. Sliding doors on the panel truck.

Bob Wilson