Toyota hybrid sales spiked just before tax credits dropped

Woefully short of details, but about a topic we're sure to know more about soon, this article from the Louisville Courier-Journal says that sales of Toyota Motor Company's hybrid vehicles peaked at the end of September as buyers tried to get their hands on a Prius or a Camry or Highlander hybrid (or, of course, a Lexus RX 400h or GS 450h) before the tax credits for those vehicles was cut in half on Oct. 1. The news comes from a Toyota spokesperson. The reason Toyota's hybrids had their credits cut in half it the company's dominance of the hybrid market, and because they were the first to reach the 60,000 vehicle sold limit set by law. You can see the updated tax credit rates for TMC's hybrids here. Hybrids from other manufacturers still qualify for the full credit amounts.

[Source: Louisville Courier-Journal]