Hybrid sales dive in November, even the Prius
No hybrid was safe from sagging sales in the month of November, including the King Kong of hybrid sales, the Toyota
Prius, sales of which were below 8,000 units for the first time in eight months. That's still enough to call the Prius
the 800-lb. gorilla of hybrids since the second best seller, the Highlander Hybrid also from Toyota, sold only 2,353
units in comparison. Toyota alone captured 75 percent of all hybrid sales, with 7.1 percent of its total vehicle sales
coming from its hybrid lineup. Ford sold only 998 Escape Hybrids and Honda only 837 Accord Hybrids. The Honda Insight
soldiered on with a mere 60 units sold.
Check out more hybrid sales figures over at
Green Car Congress.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
number six 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Is this an early warning sign of an economic recession for the United States?
In 1970 when the UAW struck GM, just the strike alone caused a short recession.
When GM (and possibly Ford) collapse, the ensuing recession will likely last a few years.
Gas prices have gone up 22 cents in less than 2 weeks where I live. Hybrid sales will inch upwards again as a result, that's my prediction.
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Andrew 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Maybe people have figured out the additional cost you pay for the purchase of the car takes far too long to balance out from the savings in gas.
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number six 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
So, we should all be driving around in Kia Rios with stick shift, crank windows and no a/c, then, right, Andrew?
'coz the "payback time" for a Chrysler 300 with Hemi, automatic, air, power goodies, etc. is "never" compared to a Kia Rio.
You anti-hybridists won't ever get it, will you? It isn't "JUST" miles per gallon.
Try a Prius with an open mind.
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Benson Leung 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Nope. Wrong on both accounts.
The real reason for this "dive?" 2006 year tax breaks.
The difference between a 2005 to a 2006 tax break is on the order of $3000... if I were in the market for a new hybrid, of ANY kind, I'd wait till 2006.
It's simple really... buy a hybrid before the end of the year, and get a measly $2000 deduction, versus a $3000+ credit on the first day of 2006.
Expect hybrid sales to spike again in January and stay high.
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n2carz 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
#4 is right on the money. This is good marketing hype to prelude the artificial increase in sales of hybrids come Jan/Feb. Then the news will be like "Hybrids show a huge increase in sales" blaa blaa.
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Scott 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
#4 is dead on.
I'm in the market for a Prius, but if I wait till 2006, I'll get roughly a $3150 tax credit. Not bad for waiting a few months. Plus the 2006 models have alot more options like the rear camera, bluetooth (w/o having to buy nav), etc.
No brainer to wait until 2006.
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Ryan 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
So you see, it IS about money savings when it comes to this car.
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Ryan 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
#4&5
So what we seem to have here is 15,942 either dumbass hybrid drivers for not waiting. OR they practice what they preach, such as:
#3's comments:
So, we should all be driving around in Kia Rios with stick shift, crank windows and no a/c, then, right, Andrew?
'coz the "payback time" for a Chrysler 300 with Hemi, automatic, air, power goodies, etc. is "never" compared to a Kia Rio.
You anti-hybridists won't ever get it, will you? It isn't "JUST" miles per gallon OR a stupid tax break (I added that on)
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starlightmica 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Not everyone knows about the change in tax laws for 2006, and if I were a Toyota salesperson trying to keep his/her numbers up, I would be in no rush to tell that a prospective Prius buyer. Figure the savings is about $400-$600 (tax bracket dependent) if you buy now as opposed to the estimated $3000+.
It's going to be a mad, mad rush in January to get a Prius as the tax deduction drops by 25% a few months (don't remember how many exactly) after Toyota sells 60,000 hybrids, then by another 25% every few months after that until it's gone in a little over a year.
Of course, if you're strictly looking at the fuel cost numbers, getting a small, highly efficient vehicle (i.e. upcoming Yaris/Fit/Versa) is still cheaper than getting a hybrid, but it's otherwise an apples and oranges comparison. I'm probably going to do the former, though.
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DieselDieselDiesel 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
"So what we seem to have here is 15,942 either dumbass hybrid drivers..."
Couldn't have said it better myself Ryan. Now that it's winter in close to half the world, I wonder how much LESS mileage again these hybrid drivers are really getting.
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Lee Gibson 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Six, nobody buys a 300C Hemi expecting to save money on gas. Lots of people buy hybrids expecting to save money on gas. When they don't save lots of money on gas, they're not getting what they're expecting, and they tell their friends.
I can't imagine why you'd buy a hybrid for any reason other than saving money on gas, and the money savings aren't that big. If you don't care about gas mileage, your Prius is just a funny looking mid-sized car.
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Robert Aitchison 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
I'm wondering if greater availability of the Highlander, RX & other hybrids introduced this year has caused the hybrid market to be somewhat more spread out.
Really only 6 months ago or so the only Hybrids that were easily available were the Prius, the Civic & the Insight. Now there are more than twice as many vying for the attention for the attention of the Hybrid buyer.
I haven't read the data to see where "combined" hybrid sales compare to past months but that would tell the tale.
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Ryan 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
#11
I got five on it that he will counter you with the "he cares about emissions" argument, prep yourself.
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Ryan 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Then somebody will counter him with the "emissions of producing such a vehicle" argument, then somebody will counter that, same blog diffrent day.
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ghughes 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
i hope all you hybridists get in a wreck with an f-350, and then are electrocuted while waiting for the paramedics- bec you are doing far worse damage to americas economic health and the envt by buying one- yeahh-youre all so smart- yes i said to the environment - do some research you bah-bah sheep
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Frank 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
#4 is basically correct. I think the main reasons hybrids are still selling in advance of the new tax credit is (1) uninformed buyers, and (2) people w/ special tax circumstances - e.g., those who will be paying the alternative minimum tax (ATM).
You could make a case that even if you're not affected by ATM it makes sense to buy now. Right now (at least in the Washington DC area) you can get a 2005 Prius for about $2000 under list. Add in ~$500 net benefit from the current year tax deduction and at least another $500 for difference in price between the '05 and '06 Prius, and you're right around $3000 -- the (approximate) value of the 2006 tax credit. On the one hand, if you buy now you're getting an '05, which is going to have higher initial depreciation than an '06. On the other hand (economists always have at least two hands), you don't see the value of the '06 tax credit until April '07. I think you could argue it's a wash.
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Scott 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
#15
Boy a lot of hostility. What difference does it make to you what somebody else drives?
I'm in the market for a Prius, but I'm not buying it for the environment. I'm buying it because I have a long commute to and from work. Yeah I've read that I can get a regular car and spend less...but thats for averages around 10K-15K miles per year. I drive an average of 35K miles each year; and yes a Prius will help. Even if it doesn't get the advertised MPG, anything above 30 mpg will help.
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Bernie 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
I agree many are waiting on 2006 tax incentives, but millions more have already done the math that tells us that the price premium for a hybrid takes 8-10 years to make up (not counting the unknown costs of battery pack or controller maintenance). How many people hang onto a car for that long? You can get a ULEV 4 cylinder nicely equipped that makes a lot more economic sense. Early adopters always pay the freight for those who think about it just a little longer!
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Benson Leung 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
Contrary to what #18 is implying that all hybrid owners up to this point are "suckers"... Hybrid owners generally put a lot more thought into the decision that everyone else.
Here's what did it for me... forget about "break even time." I think of it this way:
Would you rather spend the extra money (say $3000) upfront to support a promising new technology, or spend the $3000 parceled out over the lifetime of the car sending the money to big oil companies?
Support advanced technology that will change the way all cars are made, or support the abatross that is oil?
I chose the former.
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Benson Leung 11:07PM (12/18/2005)
The fact is, that the Prius and most other hybrids out there are "economy" cars only in one aspect... and that's the one all of you anti-hybrid people tend to rag on it the most.
All you people rag on the hybrid because it's not the cheapest solution out there... but it DOESN'T pretend to be... it's YOU who are holding the Prius to such impossible expectations that it will somehow put money INTO your pocket...
The other aspects of the hybrid system are as:
a. a performance boost, like a turbocharger
b. high tech appeal
c. emissions reduction equipment
If instead you think of the Hybrid system in the same way that you think of a turbocharger, or a bigger engine... then maybe that makes more sense for you.
When was the last time someone criticised you for buying a V6 car when a 4cylinder version was available because you were throwing money away?
Never! So why hold hybrids to the same standard?
The fact that hybrids get better mileage shouldn't draw so much ire and scorn from people who DON'T care about fuel economy to begin with. I'm willing to bet that nearly all the people here who criticize hybrids either drive a performance minded car, or a truck or a SUV.
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