Buyers Do The Math And Move Back To Mainstream - Hybrids Moving To Niche Status?

Despite months of high gas prices, a bevy of new fuel-stingy cars with conventional gas engines may be eating into sales of pricier gas-electric hybrids.

Sales of high-mileage, high-value conventional compacts such as the Hyundai Elantra (shown above), Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cruze are hot, while hybrid sales have stagnated.

The hybrid share of U.S. auto sales peaked at 3.6% in July 2009, Edmunds.com says. Last month, it was 1.6%, depressed also by production cuts for some models due to the Japan disaster, but not enough to account for all the drop.

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thetruth01 - 6/23/2011 3:27:32 PM

+1 Boost

The downturn can be almost completely explained by the Quake/Tsunami. In February, before the quake, hybrid sales were 2.35% of the market and were growing faster than the market as a whole. In March, they were at 2.74% The quake happened in March, and by April hybrids made up just 2.15%. Not so difficult to comprehend. Sheesh.

http://www.hybridcars.com/hybrid-clean-diesel-sales-dashboard/february-2011.html
http://www.hybridcars.com/hybrid-clean-diesel-sales-dashboard/march-2011.html
http://www.hybridcars.com/news/april-2011-dashboard-29827.html

You also can't compare anything to July 2009, when Cash for Clunkers was in full swing.

amybrock - 6/24/2011 6:42:46 AM

+1 Boost

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