Sales of all hybrids except Prius dip in October
Following the general decline of sales for all light-duty vehicles, hybrid vehicles also saw their worst sales month since June when Green Car Congress reports all the models on sale now were first on the market at one time. October sales were down 27 percent from August's record of 23,307 units at 16,934 units. The Toyota Prius, however, continues to enamor the buying public and draw sales against the trend. Despite a decline in sales of the Hybrid Highlander and Lexus RX400h, Toyota saw an increase in its total hybrid sales based solely on the popularity of the Prius, which sold 14,173 units in October or 8.8 percent more than in September.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Glenn Arlt 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
I guess the marketplace rules, huh? Seen any diesel car sales this high? I understand the Prius model alone is outselling Ford's entire Mercury line.
Have the rest of the car companies figured it out yet? It'll take them 4-6 years to offer a true competitor to the Prius, by which time Toyota will have Prius III. I'm hoping for 70 mpg instead of 50, more power, more room, no increase in price. You know, kind of like what happened in late 2003 with the Prius II - 5 mpg better than Prius I, mid-sized instead of sub-compact, 2.5 seconds off 0-60, same price....
Toyota is on a roll.
I'm kind of glad the Europeans aren't bright enough to dump their diesels in favor of a Prius or Prius hybrid technology (yet) - that leaves more for us Americans. Less oil money for our enemies means we don't have to pay for both sides of the war against terror.
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Joel A 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
"Despite a decline in sales of the Hybrid Highlander and Lexus RX400h,"
Kewl. RX400h drops to a reasonable (as defined by spouse) price.
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Benson Leung 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
I think there's a reasonable explanation for this.
It's no secret that the market shifted away from SUVs toward passenger cars in the wake of the natural disasters of this summer, plus rising gas prices... gas prices are down from previous months, but are still higher than last year.
It looks like not even Toyota's and Ford's hybrid SUVs are immune to those trends.
As for the Honda Civic, no surprise... new model year is announced, so interest in the 2005 models wane.
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Lee Gibson 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
"I guess the marketplace rules, huh?"
I wish.
"Seen any diesel car sales this high?"
I wish there were some available.
"I'm kind of glad the Europeans aren't bright enough to dump their diesels in favor of a Prius or Prius hybrid technology (yet"
I thought you were in favor of free markets. I guess you only think that when they fit your preconceptions.
I have zero interest in buying a hybrid, least of all a Toyota. They simply don't sell cars that interest me. Nothing wrong with that, I'm free to buy something else. I'm very much looking forward to the new diesels coming to market...they look like they'll be an excellent alternative.
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Fred D. 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
It's not that demand for hybrids has declined. Sales are down because supply is down drastically. You can't sell what you don't have.
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Glenn Arlt 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
So, Lee, who's preconceived ideas are clouding who's vision? My statement - I guess the marketplace rules - your answer 'I wish'. You mean, you wish more people agreed with the purchase of diesel cars. Then you accuse me as follows "I thought you were in favor of free markets. I guess you only think that when they fit your preconceptions."
Diesels may well play a part in our future transportation needs - especially for larger vehicles with towing needs - hybrids are probably least effective there. But why can't you diesel lovers see the forest for the trees and admit that something other than your precious clatter motors can be effective in saving resources, too?
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numbersix 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
Perhaps Toyota would be wise to continue working on cars which are visually distinguishable from non-hybrids.
Their Toyota Windom (based upon the Camry, and itself the basis of the Lexus ES330 sedan) is not sold outside of Japan, but could be used as a basis for a somewhat-different look for the upcoming Camry HSD (hybrid), instead of doing "a Civic" or "a Highlander" and just having a bit of badging differentiate it.
See
http://www.autoindex.org/model.plt?no=467&ass=
Since the car is based upon the Camry, there should be no difficulties in building it in the US (with the proposed 2.4 litre four cylinder plus hybrid drive system - presumably from the Japanese market Estima hybrid minivan) See details at
http://www.autoindex.org/model.plt?no=256&ass=
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Erik 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
"I understand the Prius model alone is outselling Ford's entire Mercury line"
Yea, and Chevy's Impala model outsells Toyota's entire Scion line. What's your point?
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djSyndrome 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
The Windom *is* the ES 330, and has been the same as the ES for several generations now. The main difference is the Windom still offers the 3.0L engine while the ES 330 offers, well, the 3.3L unit.
http://toyota.jp/windom/index.html
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KT 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
I thought there was a 4 month waiting list for the Prius? If so, wouldn't that mean the sales in October are from orders 4 months ago and have little if anything to do with "actual" sales in October?
Oh and when the Prius outsells the gas guzzling F-Series trucks (should be close to 900k for the year) or GM Trucks...then you can brag.
MMmmkay...
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Roy 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
# 7 by Erik
"Yea, and Chevy's Impala model outsells Toyota's entire Scion line"
My understanding is that Toyota limits its Scion sales up to 150,000 units/year. That's why. I don't think Ford is imposing similar limit for Mercury. In fact, Ford would like to sell more of them (Sadly, Ford FAILS!!!)
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Sheniferous 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
#7, Scion isn't sold to government entities, law enformcement agencies, and rental fleets to prop up sales numbers.
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Doogs 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
Sales are at their lowest since June? Could this be a failing of every hybrid but the Prius? Or could it be...seasonality?
Auto sales are their highest in the summer months. No surprise that October sales fell back to June levels.
And if KT is correct about the 4-month lead time on a Prius, then a lot of its October deliveries were really ordered in...June.
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Erik 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
"My understanding is that Toyota limits its Scion sales up to 150,000 units/year"
They are turning away willing buyers, Huh? OoooKaaay. Could you please post the documentation of this?
"Scion isn't sold to government entities, law enformcement agencies, and rental fleets to prop up sales numbers"
Actually Impala RETAIL ONLY sales easily beat Scion's total sales. So I guess that blows your little theory out of the water, huh.
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whofan 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
If I were to buy and assume ownership of a Prius. I wouldn`t be so insecure about it to continue to obsess about how great it is, to reinforce in my mind that I made a good decission. Despite paying a premium over a conventional economey car that can deliver good MPG. A long term break even pay back (price paid vs cost of ownership). Different cars suit different people. Prius a good car! Not a great car or good looking.
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Sheniferous 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
"Actually Impala RETAIL ONLY sales easily beat Scion's total sales. So I guess that blows your little theory out of the water, huh."
Find me figures.
Regardless, Scion as a brand sold 132,265 units YTD through October, 2005. That's up 166% since the same period last year (with sales at 79,422 units in the same period of 2004).
Source is here:
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/11/01/147202.html
The Impala, YTD through September of 2005 (I couldn't find documentation for GM from October) is at 182,279 units, down 16.9% from the same period last year (219,452 units YTD 2004).
So you are correct, yes the Impala outsold the entire Scion line in the same time period.
However, the Impala is a brand that dates back to 1958, whilst the Scion car brand was founded in 2003.
In addition, even with a brand new model introduced, employee discounts and incentives throughout the year, sales of the Impala were still on a downward trend in comparision with the 2 year old brand introduced by Toyota.
So. What's your point?
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whofan 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
However, the Impala is a brand that dates back to 1958, whilst the Scion car brand was founded in 2003.
Impala is a model not a brand! What does it matter how old a name is?
Impala shows that GM can do right. Its better looking than both the Camry and Accord.
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Sheniferous 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
#17 So then GM's best still can't touch the sales numbers of the Accord and Camry huh?
Sad.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/10/03/144768.html
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Mick 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
Despite my admiration for some of their products, I've got a new object of loathing: TOYOTA, especially their GULF STATES TOYOTA (GST) distributor. GST is owned by Houston, Texas-based Friedkin Companies, a privately owned Toyota distributorship.
Wandering through a Toyota dealer's lot this week I noticed that GST typically adds a markup or $1500-$2000 to the MSRP, calling the new price the DSRP! And that's before even more markups that the dealer adds for all that useless fluff packaging. Frankly, I've always had respect for the Japanese and their business practices, but their being in bed with the Freakin' Friedkins has put me right off from ever buying a TOYOTA product anwhere in the GST area of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. I hope TOYOTA distributors in other parts of the country have not demonstrated a similar money-grubbing approach to business.
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Ophrey 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
#17
"Impala shows that GM can do right. Its better looking than both the Camry and Accord"
subjective, while to some it may look better, lets look at the facts, in every magazine comparo ive ever read the Camry and Accord score well in all except the Camry in the latest Car&Driver because the Camry is due for a redesign and is old
Can you guess what car the magazines rarely if ever ask for, and when they do itll most certainly come last, you got it !!!! The Chevy CRAPALA
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