Demand for Fuel-Efficiency Rolls On, Despite Earthquake's Impact on Hybrid Supply

Rybold · May 5, 2011

It would take a force of nature to knock off track the booming demand for hybrids. And it literally did in April as the earthquake in Japan caused significant supply disruptions of the top-selling hybrid models. However, April sales results proved March’s seismic shift in consumer demand for fuel-efficient cars was no fluke. A lack of availability of the Toyota Prius, the new Lexus CT 200h and other hybrid cars in the showroom meant a dip in hybrid sales by 27 percent compared to record numbers in March. Nonetheless, hybrid sales were still up by 5 percent compared to last April, and are 25 percent higher so far this year.

When car buyers weren’t able to find a new hybrid—at least one that hadn’t been marked up due to fever-pitch demand—they either scrambled over to the used lot for a pre-owned hybrid, or put a fuel-efficient gas-powered on their shopping list.

General Motors credited the 30-mpg Chevy Cruze—also available as the Cruze Eco with 42-mpg on the highway—as a reason the company’s sales shot up by 27 percent in April. Sales of the Cruze shot up an astounding 180 percent.

Ford similarly reported that the new Fiesta and Focus—and the new, lighter and more efficient Explorer—was the key to its 16 percent sales increase. Ken Czubay, Ford’s U.S. chief of sales and marketing told the New York Times, “Dealers were telling us they were selling [the Focus] right off the convoy truck.”

Another indication that fuel-efficiency remains hot is the lagging demand for full-size pickups. G.M.’s passenger car sales were up 50 percent in April compared to a year ago, while full-size pickups only managed a 2 percent increase for the month. In fact, auto dealers had to put, on average, a $3,200 rebate incentive on large trucks—according to Edmunds.com—to get consumers to go against their strong desire for smaller high-mpg models. That’s $1,100 more than the industry’s average incentive for April. (Based on this, can anybody really argue that automakers’ investment in efficiency isn’t a sound business decision?)Keep reading...
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Demand for Fuel-Efficiency Rolls On, Despite Earthquake's Impact on Hybrid Supply | Roland Hwang's Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC

The last paragraph is proof that high gasoline prices are affecting consumer choices on gas guzzlers versus fuel efficient cars.
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austingreen · May 6, 2011

Rybold said: ↑

Demand for Fuel-Efficiency Rolls On, Despite Earthquake's Impact on Hybrid Supply | Roland Hwang's Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC

The last paragraph is proof that high gasoline prices are affecting consumer choices on gas guzzlers versus fuel efficient cars.
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Just to add the hybrid sales. Hopefully these can get back to full production soon.

April 2011 Dashboard: Hybrid Sales Drop, As Earthquake Cuts Off Supply | Hybrid Cars

Coming off near-record levels in March, the hybrid market took a nosedive in April. With gas prices soaring, consumers wanted high fuel economyâ€”but couldnâ€™t find it in the form of new gas-electric models. The March 11 earthquake in Japan pinched the supply chain for key hybrid models, such as the Toyota Prius and Lexus CT 200h.
"You can't have disruptions in production, like we're having post-disaster, without it having impact," said Greg Thome, manager of Toyota Division Communications, in an interview with HybridCars.com. "We're feeling it with Prius, where the interruption in production, coupled with increased demand due to gas prices, leaves us with about a five- to 10-day supply." Thome said Prius was the first Toyota vehicle to resume production after the earthquake, an indication of the importance of the hybrid to the company.
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April 2011 Hybrid Car Sales Numbers

Hybrids sold in the US (April 2011): 24,797
Hybrid Take-Rate: 2.15%
US hybrid sales for April 2011

Model Units vs. last month vs. April 2010 CYTD vs. CYTD 2010 Toyota Prius 12,477 -32.9% -0.6% 55,256 35.5% Honda Insight 2,644 -5.0% 40.6% 8,702 27.0% Honda CR-Z 1,819 8.0% n/a 5,489 n/a Ford Fusion 1,285 -12.3% -15.2% 5,099 -7.5% Lexus RX450h 1,167 -18.8% -5.3% 4,516 3.0% Toyota Camry 1,110 -22.8% -32.9% 4,400 -13.4% Ford Escape 1,070 -10.5% 2.1% 3,580 0.6% Lexus CT 200h 875 -60.2 n/a 3,074 n/a Linc. MKZ Hybrid 503 -18.2% n/a 1,883 n/a Toy. Highlander 380 -52.3% -45.1% 2,573 19.6% Altima 334 -38.7% 1.2% 1,610 -33.0% Lexus HS 250h 279 21.3% -74.1% 978 -78.4% Honda Civic 121 -72.6% -80.5% 1,747 -2.9% Cad. Escalade 117 -7.9% 2.6% 429 -1.4% Porsche Cayenne 107 -6.1% n/a 574 n/a Chevy Silverado 103 9.6% -3.7% 436 29.8% GMC Yukon 96 18.5% -33.3% 289 -31.4% Chevy Tahoe 63 -10.0% -55.3% 244 -51.6% VW Touareg Hybrid 52 18.2% n/a 221 n/a Infiniti M35h 42 n/a n/a 42 n/a Mazda Tribute 37 8.8% -36.2% 144 -28.7% BMW Hybrid 7 32 -15.8% n/a 137 n/a Mercedes S400 32 28.0% -70.4% 107 -70.3% Lexus GS450h 29 20.8% 16.0% 105 -11.8% GMC Sierra 16 -38.5% -70.4% 83 -60.1% Lexus LS600hL 10 11.1% 42.9% 34 -15.0% BMW X6 2 -60.0% -90.5% 21 -75.3% Mercedes ML450 0 -100.0% -100.0% 1 -99.6 Chevy Malibu Hybrid (5) n/a -107.5% - -100.0 All hybrids 24,797 -27.3% 4.8% 101,774 25.6 All vehicles 1,154,292 -7.1% 17.7% 4,203,249 19.4%

April 2011 Plug-in Electric Car Sales Numbers

Plug-in cars sold in the US (April 2011): 1,066
Plug-in Take-Rate: 0.09%
US plug-in electric sales for April 2011

Model Units vs. last month vs. April 2010 CYTD vs. CYTD 2010 Nissan LEAF 573 92.3% n/a 1,025 n/a Chevrolet Volt 493 -18.9% n/a 1,703 n/a Smart ED 0 100.0% n/a 32 n/a All plug-in cars 1,066 190.5% n/a 2,760 n/a All vehicles 1,154,292 -7.1% 17.7% 4,203,249 19.4%
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cycledrum · May 6, 2011

The disparity in sales is ridiculous - 12k for Prius and 2k for 2nd place Insight. This has been going on for years. Prius once again is going into short supply. Yet the other mfrs. are too proud or unable to really 2nd source the Prius.

Sub 100 sales for hybrid versions of conventional cars, Ford, Chevrolet and Nissan (Altima).

The term 'hybrid premium' is perpetuated by hybrid versions of regular cars. Regular Camry is much cheaper than hybrid so vast majority buy Camry LE.

Demand for Fuel-Efficiency Rolls On, Despite Earthquake's Impact on Hybrid Supply

Rybold globally warmed member

austingreen Senior Member

cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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Demand for Fuel-Efficiency Rolls On, Despite Earthquake's Impact on Hybrid Supply

Rybold globally warmed member

austingreen Senior Member

cycledrum PSOCSOASP