US Sales of Hybrids Top 25,000

4 August 2006

Buoyed by strong results for the Prius and the Camry hybrid, sales of hybrids in the US hit a new high in July, with 25,626 units sold—a 32% increase from July 2005.

Propelled by a sharp 29% drop in the sales of light-duty trucks and SUVs, total sales of light-duty vehicles in the US market fell 17.4% to 1,493,078 units in July 2006 from the prior year. Passenger car sales increased 0.6% in July from the year prior. Hybrids represented 1.7% of the total new light-duty vehicle market in July 2006.


Toyota Prius sales cracked the 11,000 mark for the first time since April 2005, racking up 11,114 units sold. In its third full month of sales, the Camry hybrid posted 5,023 units, maintaining its new position as the second-best selling hybrid in the US behind the Prius. Hybrids represented 12.0% of all Camry models sold in the month. Overall, hybrids represented 8.4% of Toyota’s total light-duty vehicle sales in July.

The Highlander hybrid delivered a steady performance, with 2,784 units sold, up 8.6% from July 2005. Hybrids now represent 23.2% off all Highlanders sold. The Rx 400h hybrid posted 1,220 units—a sharp drop of 46% from its sales in July 2005. The hybrid represents 14.4% of combined Rx 350/Rx 400h sales.

The luxury GS 450h hybrid sold 157 units—52.5% of combined GS 430/GS 450h sales, and 7.6% of all GS model sales (GS 300, GS 430 and GS 450h).

Honda’s Civic Hybrid sold 2,673, an increase of 14.8% from July 2005. The hybrid represents 9.3% of all Civic models sold. Sales of the Accord hybrid continued at a much lower level relative to 2005, with 504 units sold—a decrease of 63.4% from July 2005. The Accord hybrid now represented 1.3% of all Accords sold in the month. Sales of the Insight were a strong 91 units—up 33.8% from 2005—as the model approaches its end. Hybrids represented 2.2% of all Honda light-duty vehicles sold in July.

Ford posted strong results for its Escape and Mariner hybrids, selling 2,060 units combined, an 81% increase from July 2005. The two hybrids now represent 14.1% of the model sales for the two marks. Overall, hybrids represented 0.9% of total Ford vehicle sales in July.

From Greencargongress.com