I don't think that our addiction to pickup trucks is over. I see the return of the 4 cylinder small pickups that were so popular in the 80's and early 90's. I always found it strange that the small pickup line (S10, Dakota, Ranger, Sonoma, Tacoma, etc) all either disappeared or became just slightly smaller versions of the Full size models meanwhile the Full size models all practically ballooned into the size of a commercial truck. My brother bought a used1985 manual shift 2.4 L Toyota pickup and he was getting over 30 MPG when he had it. 30 MPG seems to be the magic number that most people are looking for.

The Lehrer report tonight reported Toyota sales dropped 21% in June. That looks like a mistake. Maybe it's the Lexus sales--as reported here.
In the same article here, it says Toyota sales were down 10.3% in June, also passenger car sales up 4.4%. This is confusing.
Toyota is losing money capping production on the 08 Prius right now. They could have sold many more.

Heard the same thing sport, too many Toyota (all brands) trucks / SUVs, too few cars ...

The Associated Press: General Motors holds off Toyota as June sales fall

The difference in sales is mainly about trucks and SUVs--not cars. GM had a lot of rebates on their trucks. Plus they have a huge number of rural dealerships along with Ford where trucks are the big seller.

Toyota sales, car sales are up, the sales of toy trucks is down. Not many surprises there given the circumstances.

I like seeing that Prius accounts for more than 1/4 of Toyota passenger car sales and if they could make them faster that number would be higher!
Who looks stupid now trolls?

Interesting sales statistics for June...

11,765 = Prius
3,054 = Camry-Hybrid
1,511 = Highlander-Hybrid
1,330 = RX-400h

547 = Tahoe-Hybrid & Yukon-Hybrid
295 = Malibu-Hybrid
30 = Aura-Hybrid
277 = Vue-Hybrid

.

No mistakes there.
Toyota uses numbers on a daily-selling-rate basis, 27 days in June 2007 and 24 days in June 2008.
Toyota/Lexus/Scion Pressroom: Toyota Reports June, Second-Quarter And First-Half Sales

Code:

                    Jun2008  Jun2007   %Chng
Toyota total        193,234  245,739  -11.5%
 Total Cars         131,966  145,696    1.9%
 Total Light Trucks  61,268  100,043  -31.1%

Autodata uses simple year-to-year ratio.
http://motorintelligence.com/fileopen.asp?File=SR_Sales-3.xls

Code:

                    Jun2008  Jun2007   %Chng
Toyota total        193,234  245,739  -21.4%
 Total Cars         131,966  145,696   -9.4%
 Total Light Trucks  61,268  100,043  -38.8%

Ken@Japan

I don't think they really capped production. They can't get the batteries fast enough?

Is there any way to estimate how many Priuses Toyota would have sold in June if they had an unlimited supply? Let's say an inventory at least as large as Corollas? That would be a huge number.

Perhaps the number of ORDERS in May or June is a better way to gauge the demand.
I wonder how many Priuses were ordered in June. Where is that data?

I just had a shiver picturing an "el Camino"-like version of the Prius... brrrr

Remember that car/pickup crossover?

http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-1960-1969/1969-Chevrolet-El-Camino-Blue-FA-sy.jpg

Hahaha! Honda Ridgeline? (cringing)

A dealer today told me the only way for Toyota dealers to get in Prii at this point is to agree to buy what *he* said they're calling "landsharks" -- big, gas guzzling SUVs and pickups that Toyota and the dealerships know they can't sell. Basically, you have to agree to take some large pieces of unsellable scrap metal if you want to get a shipment of the cars you have waiting lists for.

The wheel turns .... ;D