Some hybrids selling well, others dead in the water
Overall hybrid vehicle sales are showing significant growth in 2006 compared to 2005, but not all the players are celebrating. Honda has only managed to move 4,924 Accord hybrids by the end of October, compared to 15,269 in 2005, a drop of 67.8 percent. The Civic hybrid on the other hand is up 25.3 percent compared to 2005. Price and fuel consumption may be factors in the discrepancy, since the Accord with the V-6 is set up more as a performance enhancement than an economy booster. The Civic is definitely tuned more for mileage with ratings of 49/51 mpg compared to the 28/35 mpg of the Accord Hybrid.
The Prius is down by about 1,000 units so far in 2006 but still dominates the hybrid segment with a 42.5 percent share. The new Camry hybrid which has only been available since May has already sold over 24,000 copies and combines a four cylinder with the electric motor. The other major hybrid player so far is Ford which has also seen very contradictory results. Sales of the Escape hybrid are up 23.5 percent to 16,304 while the identical Mercury Mariner hybrid has only sold 2,793 units this year.
[Source: AutoWeek]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim 12:00PM (11/22/2006)
I think Hybrid buyers are waiting for the plug. I know I am.
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huckie 12:56PM (11/22/2006)
The 2006 Civic Hybrid has such low sales because there just weren't any available. Dealers in CA didn't have any to test drive, and up until almost August, any car they got in was pre-sold, sight unseen. Combine that with the fact that dealers were charging a $2000 to $5000 premium over MSRP even once cars started to show up on the lot in August/Septemeber, it's no wonder their sales were low. I don't blame hybrid buyers one bit for looking at the dealer premium on a Civic and saying forget it, I'll buy a Prius instead. Allowing dealers to charge that kind of premium over MSRP always hurts in the long run because people that had interest in the car will be turned off. I expect the Hybrid Civic sales to be slow to restart in the next year until dealers let go of the premiums. There's a point where you have to go, a $30,000 Civic, Hybrid or not, just isn't worth it.
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Andy 11:57PM (11/22/2006)
I sorry to see the Mariner Hybrid be a dud. It is a decent vehicle, but the premium on top of it makes the Escape a more fitting SUV.
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