Analyzing Hybrid Car Sales Figures Through September 2008

The substantial growth in sales for hybrid cars in the United States has been chronicled by the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA). This organization notes that hybrid car sales figures have risen from 9,367 in 2000 and 47,525 in 2004 to 324,318 in 2007. A closer look at sales figures so far in 2008 shows that hybrids are moving from trend to permanence in the U.S. auto market.

According to the EDTA, 235,283 hybrid cars and trucks have been sold in the United States through September 2008. The leader in sales figures in the hybrid market is Toyota with the industry-leading Prius selling 130,561 in nine months. Toyota has also sold 39,418 Camry hybrids and 16, 572 Highlander hybrids during the same period.

Honda has leveled the most serious challenge to Toyota’s hybrid sales dominance with its Civic hybrid selling 27,597 units in 2008. Lexus has demonstrated that its high-end reputation could be translated to the hybrid market by selling 12,498 units of the 400h so far this year. In contrast, General Motors has only moved 7,096 of its hybrids thus far as its hybrid vehicle program is in its infancy.

Several factors play into the 2008 sales figures for hybrid cars and trucks. Every motorist looks at price when hunting for a fuel-efficient vehicle with overpriced newcomers scrutinized more heavily than established hybrids. The eighth-generation Prius retails for $21,500 while the 2009 GMC Tahoe hybrid has an MSRP of $44,190. The Lexus 400h is in its third model year and offers premium features for $43,480 MSRP, coming in short of the GMC Tahoe and just past the GMC Yukon hybrid ($41, 265).

The price tag is but one element of a consumer’s decision to buy a hybrid car. Automakers like Toyota and Honda have reputations for producing fuel-efficient vehicles while General Motors is seen as a culprit of the oversized SUV trend in the late 1990s. Toyota has a sizable Prius inventory that allows drivers to take advantage of federal tax credits for purchasing hybrid cars. The company has been able to reach the 60,000-vehicle mark needed to close out this tax credit the last two years. The final determinant in the purchase of a hybrid vehicle is performance. While Toyota, Honda and Lexus are working toward highly efficient vehicles, General Motors seems to be struggling to keep its old truck/SUV lines while improving fuel efficiency.