There had been some recent rumblings that hybrids are not all that they are cooked up to be, and there have been stockpiles of Priuses building up on dealer lots as the market was becoming saturated with hybrids. Add to that the more realistic (lower!) EPA fuel ratings for 2008, pundits in the auto industry were beginning to wonder if the hybrid bubble was about to burst. Even if all the above is true, Toyota doesn't seemed worried, as they are determined to march down the hybrid road to either glory or gloom. Here are a couple of interesting facts, as the situation currently stands:
• The Prius outsells the Ford Mustang...
• Toyota's lineup of hybrids, Prius, Camry and Highlander, outsells the entire VW brand.
Full story here at Inside Line: Toyota Hybrid Sales Accelerate
Full story here at Inside Line: Toyota Hybrid Sales Accelerate
noflash1 says:
08:13 AM, 05/21/07
Why embolden the misinformation campaign with the hints of doubt that hybrids are not one answer to our looming energy and environmental crisis?
The facts in your post are that Hybrids are selling well. Your tone suggests it's a big risk for Toyota.
Why the negative tone?
rsholland says:
08:29 AM, 05/21/07
Not true. I presented commonly held notions—be they correct or incorrect, and juxtaposed them with the facts. I don't see that as being negative, but rather neutral.
Until Toyota proves, over the long haul, that hybrids are indeed the answer, it is a risk. That's not being negative, but being cautious. I'm not against hybrids. I'm for them, but that doesn't mean I can't be skeptical or even critical when the story calls for it.
noflash1 says:
01:20 PM, 05/21/07
I guess I don't see the risk. Battery technology is geting better all the time. Hybrids popularity is increasing, even with all of the misinformation out there. Many people still think you have to plug them in.
Granted these are a transistional vehicles -- getting us to our next fuel source. But for the transition Toyota will do quite well.
I think the bigger gamble is not selling higly fuel efficient cars.
I appreciate your comments.
ateixeira says:
12:34 PM, 05/22/07
The gamble is paying off. More and more of my co-workers talk about a hybrid for their next car. They get the sort of "buzz" that SUVs got 10 years ago.
Question is, how long can they sustain this level of success? Clean diesels may challenge them soon.
billt9 says:
11:08 PM, 05/22/07
hybrids still maintain 40%-100% greater EPA numbers than the non-hybrids.
So you say the popular hybrids dropped to 48 mpg.
Well the popular gas engine only cars dropped to 21 mpg.
A hybrid Camry has 2008 34 mpg combined.
a gas I4 Camry has 2008 24 mpg combined.
The benefit in EPA numbers of hybrids is still huge, disregarding "oh my the hybrid mpg's dropped more than the gas-only mpg's!"
As the tax credits are phased out, Toyota is offering identical $$$$ in rebates. The price to the consumer is still the same.