August 2009 Dashboard: Altima Hybrid and Insight Post Strong Sales

September 3, 2009

August 2009 Hybrid Car Sales Numbers

For August, we offer an abbreviated version of our Hybrid Market Dashboard. The full dashboard will return next month.

Hybrid sales were nearly 50 percent higher than a year ago, compared to the overall car market which was up by only 1 percent. The Cash for Clunkers program, which helped the Toyota Prius so much in July, had less of an effect in August. The Honda Insight showed new life, boosting sales by 84 percent compared to last month. Sales of the Nissan Altima Hybrid boomed, making Nissan’s only hybrid the third most popular gas-electric vehicle in August, despite being offered in only eight states. Lexus’s first dedicated hybrid, the HS 250h, reported its first month of sales with 541 units.

Our information is based on hybrid sales as reported by the manufacturers. For each model, this month’s sales are shown compared to sales in the previous month and at the same time last year. We also examine hybrid market share by model and manufacturer.

Hybrids sold in the US (August 2009): 38,701

US hybrid sales for August 2009

Model Units vs. last month vs. August 2008 CYTD vs. CYTD 2008
Prius 18,886 -1.5% 40.3% 93,810 21.6%
Insight 4,226 84.1% n/a 14,045 n/a
Altima 3,164 207.2% 615.8% 7,368 9.4%
Fusion 2,353 -9.1% n/a 10,352 n/a
Camry 2,114 -15.7% -38.8% 17,630 -51.9%
RX400h 1,754 28.1% 37.4% 8,921 -24.1%
Escape 1,711 -26.5% 48.1% 11,222 -8.7%
Highlander 836 -28.6% -31.9% 8,366 -46.5%
Civic 717 -26.0% -76.9% 14,014 -45.2%
HS 250h 543 n/a n/a 543 n/a
Malibu 441 -7.4% 13.7% 3,548 243.8%
Vue 414 53.9% -0.7% 2,190 36.5%
Mariner 391 82.7% 113.7% 1,314 -40.4%
Milan 240 8.6% n/a 990 n/a
Silverado 226 25.6% n/a 876 n/a
Tahoe 222 -12.6% 58.1% 2,186 28.9%
Escalade 214 28.1% n/a 1,264 126,273%
Yukon 126 -7.7% -52.8% 1,202 3.9%
Aura 65 170.8% 150.0% 279 81.2%
GS450h 48 6.7% 37.1% 301 -43.6%
LS600hL 10 -64.3% -85.9% 195 -75.3
All hybrids 38,701 9.2% 48.6% 200,657 -15.4%
All vehicles 1,261,799 26.6% 0.9% 7,068,834 -28.0%

U.S. hybrid market historical sales (1999 – 2009)

United States Yearly Sales


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  • Max Reid

    Its great that Prius has sold 18,886. I guess the Prius-III sales in USA has hit 50,000 mark and probably 100,000 worldwide.

    Thats a brisk start. Nice that Insight sales are also picking up.

    For 2nd month in a row, Fusion Hybrid has outsold Camry Hybrid.
    Ford is coming up.

    LS600hL sales has crashed. I think Toyota can withdraw that model.

    Another month in which Hybrids have captured 3%.

    It will be better if similar data is posted for Flex-fuel vehicles as well.
    In Brazil, Flex-fuel vehicles have captured 92% of the market.

  • Daniel O

    Thank You hybrid cars for bring back the maps and graphs back I missed them. Also I am happy that cash for clarks help hybrid sale for ford, toyota, and honda but GM sucks with no real hybrid competion. Go Hybrids!!!

  • Old Man Crowder

    126,000% for the Escalade Hybrid? Methinks there’s a calculation error there somewhere…

    These figures are rather bizarre. Some small hybrids are way up, some are way down. Some big hybrids are up and some are down. They’re all over the map.

    I wonder if this suggests that there isn’t really a clear “hybrid leader” in all of this. Everybody’s getting a little piece of the action as more models join the fray. Either that, or people are still testing the waters; not certain of what they want or need.

    The Prius… What a gold mine that has turned out to be for Toyota, eh?

  • Collin Burnell

    I hope I am wrong but I think there is an error with the Altima Hybrid sales. I can’t fathom a 4 fold increase in one month.

    I have been telling people it’s a great car!

    Although Nissan Financing leaves something to be desired.

    I am still amazed that the Civic Hybrid is not selling better. I could swear it’s the color choices! All the Hybrid colors (except that crystal blue) are BORING!!! Is anyone from Honda reading this? Please wake up!!! People want nice colors!!! Dah! Have you seen some of the new Ford colors??? Nice!!!

  • RICHARD BUNKER

    HEY I GOT AN IDEA HOW ABOUT YOU GUY GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND COME UP WITH A CAR THAT GETS 50 H 40 C MPG AND STOP PLAYING AND UES WHAT U ALL KNOW TOGETHER NOT SEPRETLY COME TOGETHER AS ANAMARICAN PEPOLE

  • Anonymous

    It’d be very interesting to see the price of oil posted in the same chart, and hybrid sales reaction to particular price points.

  • Anchi

    Looking at that graph, I see an interesting point.

    Did Toyota really jump that far ahead of Honda. So it was big achievement for Toyota manufacturers.
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