Thursday, October 6, 2011

September 2011 Dashboard: Consumers Favor Trucks Over Hybrids

Published October 6, 2011

The HybridCars.com monthly sales dashboard is a collaboration of HybridCars.com and Baum & Associates, a Michigan-based market research firm focusing on automotive issues including the hybrid and electric vehicle market.




Hybrid sales declined from August—showing a drop of more than 20 percent compared to a year ago, while the overall market was up 10 percent compared to last September. Sales apparently were hit by continuing supply shortages of the Prius, and a slide in gas prices. Nobody knows were gas prices will go, but we expect Prius sales to increase as inventory returns. Volumes on other Japanese hybrids also declined, due both to availability and exchange rate issues.




Consumers jumped at pick-up trucks in September, but hybrid trucks—such as the Chevy Silverado Hybrid—remain a very small part of the gas-electric market.




Allthe top hybrid sellers dropped in September and are down for 2011—a year in which hybrid sales were expected to rise. In September, the hybrid take-rate was a disappointing 1.68 percent of new car sales.



Diesel volumes were also a letdown in September—falling 5 percent compared to a year ago. However, sales of clean diesel vehicles are up 30 percent for the year.



Chevy Volt sales increased in September as availability started to rise, and should jump even more in coming months as production moved above 2,000 units per month in August and September. Nissan LEAF sales have been relatively consistent, but did slide by a few hundred units compared to last month. Sales of plug-in cars broke the 10,000-unit mark in September.



Overall vehicle sales this month were tilted towards trucks—including crossovers—with pickups doing very well. This suggests that small business owners and other commercial interests see better times ahead and are buying these trucks to prepare for new business, and to replace their aging vehicles. Unfortunately, these segments have very little hybrid content and thus hybrid sales did not get a boost from the trend. In addition, a drop in gas prices—in large part due to poor economic news—reduced demand for higher mileage cars including electrics, hybrids, and diesels.










September 2011 Hybrid Car Sales Numbers



Hybrids sold in the US (September 2011):17,625
Hybrid Take-Rate:1.68%




US hybrid sales for September 2011










































































































































































































Model Units vs. last month vs. September 2010 CYTD vs. CYTD 2010
Toyota Prius 9,325 -1.7% -18.2% 93,243 -9.8%
Hyundai Sonata 2,000 -51.6% n/a 14,042 n/a
Lexus CT 200h 1,444 -30.8% n/a 8,852 n/a
Lexus RX450h 650 -22.7% -41.5% 7,701 -29.2%
Ford Escape 566 0.5% -28.6% 7,305 -16.8%
Ford Fusion 552 155.6% -67.0% 8,548 -47.5%
Honda CR-Z 537 -27.9% -56.6% 10,172 427.0%
Honda Insight 512 -46.7% -69.5% 13,618 -13.9%
Linc. MKZ Hybrid 455 -7.3% 4,450.0% 4,353 43,430.0%
Honda Civic 305 187.7% -54.3% 3,155 -38.8%
Toyota Camry 229 -28.0% -79.3% 6,381 -42.9%
Lexus HS 250h 231 -18.7% -67.5% 2,178 -72.6%
Toy. Highlander 218 -3.5% -58.3% 3,425 -31.9%
Altima 217 -31.8% -57.5% 3,098 -40.7%
Porsche Cayenne 112 -12.5% n/a 1,235 n/a
Chevy Silverado 75 316.7% -62.7% 720 -47.1%
Mazda Tribute 32 37.3% -39.6% 374 -24.3%
Infiniti M35h 45 -16.7% n/a 245 n/a
Lexus GS450h 18 5.9% 0.0% 208 -8.8%
GMC Yukon Hybrid 16 -11.1% -66.7% 505 -46.7%
Cad. Escalade 14 -65.0% -82.9% 680 -25.1%
Mercedes S400 22 46.7% -73.5% 244 -67.9%
BMW Hybrid 7 16 6.7% 77.8% 253 308.1%
VW Touareg Hybrid 14 40.0% n/a 322 n/a
GMC Sierra 7 40.0% -77.4% 142 -63.2%
Lexus LS600hL 8 -11.1% -11.1% 62 -31.1%
BMW X6 4 -300.0% 100.0% 39 -83.3%
Chevy Tahoe 1 -94.4% -98.8% 416 -64.3%
Chevy Malibu Hybrid - n/a -100.0% 24 -93.8%
Mercedes ML450 - n/a -100.0% 1 -99.9%
All hybrids 17,625 -16.8% -20.6% 191,541 -4.7%
All vehicles 1,049,754 -1.8% 9.8% 9,485,61210.3%







September 2011 Plug-in Electric Car Sales Numbers



Plug-in cars sold in the US (September 2011):1,754
Plug-in Take-Rate:0.17%




US plug-in electric sales for September 2011









































Model Units vs. last month vs. September 2010 CYTD vs. CYTD 2010
Nissan LEAF 1,031 -24.3% n/a 7,199 n/a
Chevrolet Volt 723 139.4% n/a 3,895 n/a
Smart ED - n/a n/a 88 n/a
All plug-in cars 1,754 5.0% n/a 11,182 n/a
All vehicles 1,049,754 -1.8% 9.8% 9,485,61210.4%











September 2011 Clean Diesel Car Sales Numbers



Clean Diesels sold in the US (September 2011):7,663
Diesel Take-Rate:0.73%




US clean diesel sales for September 2011






























































































Model Units vs. last month vs. September 2010 CYTD vs. CYTD 2010
VW Jetta 4,158 -13.4% -14.1% 41,083 -27.0%
Volkswagen Golf 694-24.1% 59.5% 7,576 84.1%
BMW X5 610 2.0% -12.2% 5,031 -10.2%
BMW 335d 449 32.1% 46.3% 2,655 -3.4%
Mercedes ML320 360 12.9% -0.8% 2,556 39.0%
VW Touareg 359 21.3% 204.2% 2,191 73.2%
Mercedes GL320 280 21.7% -32.2% 3,431 38.9%
Audi Q7 251 -23.5% -23.5% 2,893 28.8%
Mercedes E320 251 -14.6% 25,000.0% 2,232 1,910.8%
Audi A3 234 -55.7% -23.8% 2,829 18.6%
Mercedes R320 17 112.5% -65.3% 406 53.2%
Jeep Gr Cherokee - n/a -100.0% 152 -84.2%
All clean diesels 7,663 -13.0% -5.1% 73,777 30.9%
All vehicles 1,049,754 -1.8% 9.8% 9,485,61210.3%








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