Hybrid Dashboard Summary: April 2015

Jeff Cobb's team did a great job but changes are coming:

	model	Apr_15	Mar_15	Feb_15	Jan_15
1	Prius Liftback	8822	9485	7070	7316
2	Ram Pickup Diesel	5072
3	Prius C	3523	3564	2701	2614
4	Camry Hybrid	2650	2739	2110	2143
5	Sonata	2481	1793	1605	672
6	Prius V	2462	2516	1850	1913
7	Passat Diesel	2182	1949	1387	970
8	Jetta Diesel	1949	2409	1786	1555
9	Model S	1900	2000	1400	1300
10	Fusion Hybrid	1820	2534	2416	1782
11	Leaf	1553	1817	1198	1070
12	C-Max Hybrid	1237	1054	878	765
13	CT200h	1170	1416	978	1005
14	Accord Hybrid	1118	948	832	805
15	GLK Class Diesel	1117	270	179	144
16	Golf Sportwagon Diesel	928	87
17	Spark	920	151	119	86
18	Avalon Hybrid	906	902	864	912
19	Volt	905	639	693	542
20	Optima Hybrid	892	805	856	844
21	Golf Diesel	821	841	631	730
22	MKZ	810	717	480	468
23	ES Hybrid	789	1076	758	746
24	Fusion Energi	711	837	603	426
25	C-Max Energi	553	715	498	395
26	XV Crosstrek Hybrid	552	587	549	512
27	Lacrosse Hybrid	531	497	514	326
28	RX 400 / 450 h	492	641	494	521
29	Q5 Diesel	486	464	309	306
30	500E	450	164	117	119
31	Cayenne Diesel	444	314	357	483
32	A3 Diesel	438	240	178	225
33	Prius Plug In	428	473	397	401
34	X3 Diesel	426	20	258	93
35	X5 Diesel	417	459	405	263
36	i3*	406	922	1089	670
37	Civic Hybrid	386	351	358	320
38	GL-Class Diesel	371	377	265	235
39	Q7 Diesel	355	345	234	158
40	Cruze Diesel	345	387	262	186
41	Touareg Diesel	323	273	232	257
42	Grand Cherokee Diesel	321	336	275	128
43	e-Golf	309	195	130	181
44	Highlander Hybrid	305	295	256	268
45	Q50 Hybrid	299	390	365	297
46	3-Series Diesel	217	386	155	125
47	CR-Z	216	255	175	196
48	NX Hybrid	210	225	164	163
49	Insight	183	209	211	223
50	QX60 Hybrid*	170	195	179	129
51	Pathfinder Hybrid*	167	258	212	184
52	B-Class Electric	158	145	109	240
53	i8	138	143	113	85
54	A6 Diesel	130	94	72	74
55	Focus EV	124	140	145	85
56	forTwo EV	124	103	76	147
57	Beetle Diesel	114	129	91	87
58	ELR	104	92	127	92
59	Cayenne S E-Hybrid	88	72	106	83
60	Soul EV	73	63	48	69
61	5-Series Diesel	65	106	79	52
62	A7 Diesel	60	30	15	26
63	E-Class Diesel	60	593	70	323
64	Impala Hybrid	49	29	19	19
65	Jetta Hybrid	41	45	36	50
66	Civic	34	38	26	50
67	Panamera S E-Hybrid	30	44	40	61
68	Regal Hybrid	28	21	20	12
69	A8 Diesel	24	35	17	15
70	Promaster Van Diesel	18	23
71	i	16	10	2	3
72	Q70 Hybrid	15	22	14	19
73	RLX Hybrid	15	18	21	14
74	GS 450h	12	9	10	8
75	Q5 Hybrid	7	9	10	8
76	Accord Plug In	5	5	12	28
77	LS 600h	5	7	7	5
78	Malibu Hybrid	4	8	8	6
79	ML Class Diesel	4	14	4	2
80	ML Class Diesel	4	14	4	2
81	RAV4 EV	4	4	2	7
82	Yukon Hybrid	3	3	3	2
83	ActiveHybrid 3 (335ih)	2	3	1	3
84	ILX Hybrid	2	4	5	3
85	ML450H	2	2
86	ActiveHybrid 5 (535ih)	1	3
87	Tahoe Hybrid	1	0	3	0
88	7-Series ActiveHybrid	0	5
89	E400H	0	13	3	30
90	Escalade Hybrid	0	1	2	1
91	Fit EV	0	1
92	S-Class Diesel	0	1
93	S400HV Hybrid	0	1
94	Touareg Hybrid	0	3	1	2

Source: Jeff Cobb's Hybrid Market Dashboard | HybridCars.comHybridCars.com (well worth reading!)

• Yes, that is a Ram Pickup Diesel - 20/23/28 City/Comb/Hwy - $3/gal diesel
• Sonata hybrid made a nice recovery
• Lower number models are showing some life

Enjoy,
Bob Wilson

 

Adding the Ram diesel has raised an old conflict that I had to face since pre-Prius days: total vehicle efficiency. I choose my first Prius because the City MPG was greater than the Highway MPG. Unlike ordinary cars, brake pads can last the life of the vehicle because regenerative braking is efficient in saving energy.

In the early years at the old GreenHybrid.com site, we had diesel advocates who seemed as oblivious to efficiency as Bob Lutz. Yet every time I investigated diesel MPG using either EPA or Fuelly reports, I got the same numbers showing the best, user reported diesels barely overlapped the worst Prius mileage. Compared to an Otto cycle, diesel is 'less bad' but they both wear out their brake pads.

So I plan to separate vehicles based upon the following, EPA ratings:

• efficient: City MPG >= Highway MPG
• others: City MPG < Highway MPG

I am fully aware of the risk of using EPA numbers because our 2003 Prius and 2001 Echo were redefined:

	model	original-current City	original-current Highway
1	2001 Echo	32->27	38->35
2	2003 Prius	52->42	45->41

Sad to say, the CARB rating does not change but a lot harder to find.

There are cases where a diesel is the better tool. In like fashion, a gasser can be a better choice for low annual mileage owners. Yet I know when I reach work about 1/4th of the 4,000 lb trucks and SUVs are commuting vehicles, a huge waste of resources.

I summarize the HybridCars monthly sales reports because I am interested in efficient vehicle sales. Sad to say, the Ram diesel pickup runs smack dab into my motivation: a life-long, Sisyphus struggle with the Second Law and the enemy, Entropy.

Bob Wilson

 

I was going to post this in 'Freds' but it explains the rot that was in GM 'leadership':
Source: Former GM Euro Boss Docherty Takes Non-Auto CEO Job | TheDetroitBureau.com

Former General Motors executive Susan Docherty, who was considered by some observers to be a candidate to be the first woman CEO at the automaker, has been appointed the CEO of the Canyon Ranch, the operator of spas and health resorts.


Docherty left GM in September 2013 after holding series of top level positions in sales and marketing in North America, China and finally Europe where she was president of Cadillac and European operations.
. . . ​

Having 'hands on' experience in all aspects of vehicle manufacture is what makes sense in the CEO. But apparently this executive is just as happy switching to "spas and health resorts." Would that Wagner/Lutz had done the same in 1998!

Bob Wilson

 

I tossed this chart together from the EPA fueleconomy.gov site:

• all diesels
• diagonal is City MPG = Highway MPG
  • all hybrids with City MPG >= Highway MPG (17 of 46)
  • all electrics with City MPG >= Highway MPG (11 of 16)

Based on this initial survey, only 28 hybrids and EVs meet my selection criteria. But I still don't like using the EPA ratios because another 'revision' could throw things into turmoil.

Engine off at stops are not enough. The engine has to be off for a significant part of the test; the AC, brakes, transmission, and steering have to be efficient and; the engine has to be efficient from cold-start.

Bob Wilson

 

Autoline Daily got an early comment posted: AD #1613 &#8211; EV Battery Costs Falling, VW Merges HD Truck Brands, Bigger Can Be Better &#8211; Autoline Daily

Bob Wilson