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Hybrid Market Dashboard

May 2007 Dashboard

In May, Toyota sold a whopping 24,009 units of the Prius, the highest sales level yet for the iconic gas-electric vehicle. Many industry executives and analysts had assumed that hybrids would not go beyond 2% of the new car market until the end of the decade—if ever. In May, the 2% ceiling, which hybrids have not broken since their introduction almost eight years ago, was surpassed.

April 2007 Dashboard

Compared with a year ago, hybrid sales are up 30% while the overall market is down by 8%. A lot of this growth is due to the Camry Hybrid, which was barely on the market a year ago. But even if the Camry Hybrid is removed, hybrid sales still show a 10% increase over April 2006.

March 2007 Dashboard

The Prius hit another all-time high, selling 19,156 units in March, a 57% increase over February. To put this volume in perspective, consider this: this month Prius sales exceeded the sales volume of entire brands such as Subaru, Mercury, and Cadillac.

February 2007 Dashboard

Toyota finally began marketing the Prius like a regular car. The company increased availability, launched an advertising campaign, and implemented incentives in some markets. The results were impressive: monthly Prius sales hit 12,227 units, the highest monthly tally ever. That moved the Prius to the number nine slot in the list of top ten bestselling cars in the U.S. in February.

January 2007 Dashboard

January's auto sales are typically lackluster, and this month was no exception. Year-to-year sales gains for the Prius may have been stimulated by sales incentives, which were offered for the first time on Toyota's flagship hybrid this month. January 2007 also marks the first time in seven years that no Honda Insights were shipped, bringing sales of the first hybrid sold in America to a close.

December 2006 Dashboard

Mark Twain once quipped that the reports of his death had been greatly exaggerated. So too have the reports about waning hybrid demand. A few weeks ago, the Chicago Tribune published a widely-syndicated article suggesting that hybrid sales were slumping, just as automakers like Nissan and GM are readying new models for the marketplace.

November 2006 Dashboard

November's U.S. hybrid sales don't look radically different from last month. Hybrid sales were up almost 14% from November 2005 in a light-duty vehicle market that showed 3% growth over the same period. Much of the annual increase in hybrid sales can be attributed to the Toyota Camry Hybrid, which was not present in last November's sales total.

October 2006 Dashboard

October was a tough month for hybrid vehicles in the United States. Sales were down almost 20% from last month, and hybrids accounted for only 1.5% of sold vehicles— compared to a high of 1.8% last August. But before we start writing an obituary for hybrids, we should consider that October was a down month throughout the auto industry: sales of all types of vehicles fell by 10% in October. In the broader context, things look more promising for hybrids. Sales are up 10% compared to October 2005, and the growth in hybrid sales remains well above the growth rate of the overall vehicle market.

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