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Gas prices plummeting, and so are hybrid sales

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Oskar, Oct 19, 2014.

  1. Oskar

    Oskar Member

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    Heard a news feature on the radio a few days ago and it was discussing the sharp drop in gas prices along with similar drops in hybrid sales. According to the piece hybrids are fairly expensive to make, and since many of the new cars are now getting into the mid 30s mpg, along with lower gas prices, many are going for more traditional cars and ignoring hybrids. The Prius was singled out as being the trendsetter for hybrids, but it noted that sales on the Prius are getting hammered as well. One reason is that the model hasn't changed since 2009 while other model cars continue to improve, change, and add interesting options. Buyers are also holding out for the next gen Prius. Makes sense, but I think if Toyota wants to boosst Prius sales it's going to have to offer some interesting options with Gen IV to compete.
     
  2. phoenixgreg

    phoenixgreg Senior member

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    Yep, when gas goes down, you actually see Prius ads on TV. And to your point, the G4s look pretty much the same as the G3s. But Prius is great vehicle and should go thousands more miles than a standard ICE car.
     
  3. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    And then when the price eventually goes back up again everyone will panic and sales will go up.
     
  4. A617

    A617 Member

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    This gas price drop is just temporary, it will rebound eventually, especially when traveling season is at peak.
     
  5. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

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    So, now is a good time to buy a hybrid then!
     
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    or when putin dies.
     
  7. Hmctn

    Hmctn New Member

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    I for one shall enjoy lower gas prices and my prius. Gas is well under $3 a gallon here and I commute 70 miles a day round trip x 4 days a week. I am literally spending in a month what I was spending each week with my old explorer. :)
     
  8. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Just a part of the cycle that has been occurring since we've had fuel efficient cars.

    The truth is, for many folks who drive less than 10k miles a year, a hybrid doesn't always make the most sense economically. A solid 35mpg car can cost thousands less than a Prius and not be slapped with the treehugger label or the subjective looks. So you are on the right track. As vehicles approach the magical 40mpg mark, there will be less interest in odd-ball super efficient vehicles. After 50mpg the savings becomes quite small unless you drive a large number of miles each year.

    That's where electrics come in. You don't have to sacrifice power or looks for efficiency. In some cases anyway. lol
     
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  9. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    And the same people who bragged about avoiding the 'hybrid premium' when fuel prices are low will whine about the jump in hybrid prices when supply is constrained.
     
  10. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Uh oh...He looks to be in pretty good shape.
    But seriously we could be in for lower gaso prices for a while.
    As far as sales trends, well hybrid sales fell last Fall too so that is becoming the seasonal trend.
    But does seem like the days are coming when hybrid/EV are more up-scale options.
    Still no obvious Prius killer out there though.
     
  11. Oskar

    Oskar Member

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    Actually what I found interesting about the radio broadcast was not so much the issue of lower gas prices, but the fact that the development, and design of non-hybrids were offering some pretty nifty things that hybrids couldn't because they were already highly priced. In short, they were bcoming competititve. Couple that with increasing mpg of many non-hybrids and people will turn to the better, overall deal. Just as an example, my neighbor has a 2013 Chrysler 300, V6. He gets 30 mpg on the highway. And it's loaded. Not my kind of car, but a good example on how all cars are improving mpg and adding value. Ten years ago that car would have been lucky to break 20 mpg on the highway.
     
  12. lester williams

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    I filled up yesterday for $2.71, cheapest gas in a while for me. A lot of us firmly believe this is tied into the mid-term elections. After they are over and with holidays coming on with mucho travel--- price will escalate. We can just enjoy it while we can, I guess. I drive about 2,000 miles per month so this has helped me by doubling the mpg over my Corvette and RX350.
     
  13. Ashlem

    Ashlem Senior Member

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    I read on other sites that the low gas prices are a result of a variety of things aside from fracking, mostly geopolitical stuff, such as Saudi Arabia not cutting production like they normally would when oil prices drop too much. But let's not turn this into a political debate.

    If gas prices remain low for a long period of time, say several months to a year, I wonder if this will influence Toyota regarding pricing on the Gen 4 Prius. Many cars are coming out now have increasingly better mpg. While it's nowhere near hybrid levels, it's good enough for most people, especially considering many of them will also cost thousands less than a hybrid. Why buy the cheapest prius liftback for $25k (without haggling/incentives), when you could just get a corolla for $19k instead?

    Gen 3 was able to wow a lot of people back when it first came out because there was no other real competitor to it, nor did any other vehicle have insanely high mpg. Sure, there was the Honda Insight, but that car wasn't very popular. Nowadays you can pick from a variety of hybrids, along with plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles in case the prius isn't to your liking. Sure, they're probably not as good a deal overall, but a lot of people are okay with less mpg for more power/handling, or more ev range in the case of plug-ins.

    Bottomline for me is that Gen 4 Prius had better be awesome. And I hope they release the Gen 2 Plug-in Prius nationwide, or my next car is going to be a non-Toyota plug-in, probably a Volt or Tesla Model 3.
     
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  14. dig4dirt

    dig4dirt MoonGlow

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    Actually, I think the Persona is a bit of a tease, touch of taste when it comes to the G4

    They did it in 2013, now in 2015.

    The G4 should have minor upgrades, but the MPG should be the forerunner.

    The drop in gas prices, may just push it back further, however I am sure it is fully finished,
    now we just wait until gas goes up to see it released....which we all know wont be too long. :)
     
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    30 mpg highway, and 17 city.:cool:
     
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  16. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    #16 wjtracy, Oct 20, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2014
  17. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    I think these hybrid sales figures are just blips, measured over weeks. The trends are measured over years, and I think hybrids are the trend of the future. Once you taste 60 mpg, there's no going back to wasteful non-hybrids.

    I'd expect oil prices to fall; they tend to fluctuate whenever there are tensions in oil-producing countries. We have turmoil in the Middle East, and in Eastern Europe, -double whammy. Even Nigerian oil may be affected by the Ebola outbreak for all we know.
     
  18. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    10 years ago my 2000 Intrigue would get 30mpg on the open road. Good fuel economy is in the mind of the buyer and some have lower standards than others.
     
  19. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    I can't go back to the wasteful process of burning fuel to accelerate, then wasting more energy to decelerate.
     
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  20. Tande

    Tande Active Member

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    +1...(y)