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Hybrid Vehicles Does the current situation affect hybrid sales more?
108 messages, Last post on May 20, 2009 at 1:35 PM
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I would say the hybrids are taking a real beating with the low priced gas. Dealers in CA the largest Prius market are loaded with inventory. This cannot be blamed on the dollar or batteries. It is Americans typical knee jerk reaction to the price of gas. I think the only thing that has not taken a hit in the ToyLex lineup is the big SUVs. figure that one out. Even with record high gas prices the Prius is down for the whole year by 10%. Are the buyers all waiting on the plug-ins?
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 03, 2008 5:34 am) Your stats on the Prius are dubious and even if close it says nothing about the car that the same figures say about the rest of the industry. How about the sales numbers of Hummers ..Escalades.. and...the last of the Excursions? They're collecting rust and dust as the situation worsens. Take a look at another vehicle that's taking a beating worse than the "Big 3". Recreational vehicles are litteraly dead. Indiana laid off thousands this past summer and that's just the beginning of this problem. Ask an R.V.er if he can sell his behemoth that's sitting in the yard collecting cobwebs.
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This isn't "Are hybrids good/bad?". Given the current economic "state of mind" I think hybrid sales, as with the sales of any higher priced item are going to suffer a bit more than sales of basic items. |
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Replying to: railroadjames (Dec 03, 2008 9:28 am) That was not a slam on the batteries. It was in reference to those that said there was a shortage of Prius because there were no batteries available. I think you are blinded by your love of the hybrids. It is true that the market overall is down. Toyota has sold more Sequoias and Landcruisers this year than last. Even November was in the plus column for the big ToyLex SUVs. The question was Does the current situation affect hybrid sales my post was stating that yes Cheap gas has affected hybrids sales more than most small cars.
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 03, 2008 10:07 am) I don't think it's just cheap gas that's affected the hybrids, but a combination of cheap gas and the recession. Hybrids always carried a price premium, and now that the economy is shot, that premium might be putting them out of reach of many buyers. The recession might be making some buyers re-think what they really need, and go for something cheaper and more economical, regardless of gas prices. As a result, some cars like the Civic, Corolla, etc, might still not do too bad in this economy. But a hybrid, and the price premium it carries, is going to be viewed as more of a luxury item. Cars like the Prius also might have been over-sold back when gas was at its peak, pulling forward buyers who might have bought one, but just at a later date. So that could also partly explain why sales have fallen off so sharply. Also, I'd think that something like a Prius isn't the type of car that people are going to trade in every few years. These are probably people who did the math, figured out their breakeven point, and intend to drive the car until it gets there. So while some cars, especially those with a high lease rate might commonly get replaced every 2-3 years or so, the typical Prius owner might hold onto their car longer. And that lower turnover is going to saturate the market more quickly. |
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Replying to: boaz47 (Dec 01, 2008 6:24 pm)
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Replying to: nwng (Dec 03, 2008 10:49 am) About 1990 CARB mandated 10% ZEV cars by 1998 in CA. Clinton authorized a few billion to build next generation cars in 1993. The money was only allocated to the Big 3. They did in fact come up with high mileage hybrids. Toyota went to Japan and got funding to also build a hybrid at the same time. The Big 3 showed off their hybrids in 2000. The Dodge intrepid ESX was being tested in 1997. There are many stories as to why they never built them. Most was related to the high cost of lightweight materials. These cars were all capable of 72-80 MPG. The Big 3 were also working on EVs to satisfy the CA mandate. The impracticality of the lead acid and NiMH EVs was soon apparent. And with the hybrids just around the corner CARB changed their mind. That gave Toyota a great opening for the Prius. I know for a fact they could not give them away to start with. I test drove one of the first ones in San Diego. I thought it was cool and it was being offered for $20k with a great 8 year B to B warranty. Wife hated it and that ended the Prius in my garage. The Big 3 lost out because they did not think it would ever sell. It did and Toyota got the jump on the Big 3. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/favorites/fcvt_fotw128.html
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 03, 2008 12:43 pm)
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Replying to: boaz47 (Dec 03, 2008 2:50 pm) That is how it happened. Sadly the RAV4 EV was a decent vehicle. Those that have them are still going. Some have replaced the NiMH with Li-Ion batteries. As is still the case, the batteries are expensive and will need to come down a lot to bring EVs back to the forefront.
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 03, 2008 2:56 pm)
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