QUESTIONS REGARDING HYBRID VEHICLES:
1. Are US automakers ignoring hybrids and targeting the wrong markets?
2. Is the rest of the world ahead of the US in hybrid use and production?
3. Is Toyota really smart by shifting all of its production to hybrids?
4. Are hybrids quickly solving the gas crisis and adding immeasurably to the ideals promoted by the Green Movement?
NEW CAR SALES STATISTICS
2008
SOURCE: Dashboard Report For October 2008
Sales worldwide Oct 2008:
Hybrids = 21,978 = 2.6 %
All cars and trucks = 838,592 = 100.0 %
Prius = 11,804 = 1.4 %
U.S. Sales 2008 (Jan-Oct) (Includes Used):
Hybrids = 276,611 = 2.4 %
All cars and trucks = 11,603,855 = 100.0 %
Hybrid Manufacturer Production Ranking 2008:
#1 = Toyota
#2 = Ford Motor Company
#3 = General Motors
Hybrid Sales 2008 by Country Worldwide (New only)
#1 = U.S.A. = 235,956
#2 = Japan = 59,889
#3 = Canada = 16,406
#4 = UK = 10,548
#5 = Netherlands = 8,658
Hybrid Sales by State in US as a percentage of Population:
#1 = California Mostly in LA and San Francisco
#2 = District of Columbia
#3 = Oregon Mostly Portland and Eugene
Toyota Hybrid Sales vs Toyota Total Sales
Numbers here were sketchy. However, I was able to determine that Toyota’s worldwide sales for the year to date 2008 were 8,356,000. Total hybrid sales were 276,611. Even if they were all Toyota that would give Toyota production numbers with production of hybrids being 3.3% of their total production. Hardly material to their well being. Hardly a significant profit center.
SOURCE: edmunds.com
Consumer interest in Hybrids fell 86% from Summer 2008 through October 2008.
"At the moment, interest is slow, making it harder for auto makers to justify increasing production volumes in the near term (of Hybrids)."
MYTHS INVESTIGATED ABOVE
1. US auto makers are targeting the wrong market and being punished for ignoring Hybrids. (US automakers are #2 and #3 in worldwide hybrid production.)
2. The rest of the world is ahead of the US in Hybrid use. (There are more hybrid sales in the US than in the rest of the world combined!)
3. Toyota is really smart and has shifted its production to Hybrids. (Less than 3.3% of their total production is hybrids.)
4. Hybrids are quickly solving the gas crisis and adding immeasurably to the Green Movement.
(2.6% of all vehicles produced worldwide. Immaterial to solving our energy problems.)
(These 'facts' and statements were investigated after attending a gathering of 'Greens'. I pretty well simply kept my mouth shut as I didn't know if the statements were true or not. Turns out they were not.)
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Those poor bastards ..........our automobile manufacturers gave their business away to the unions a long time ago, and now they are going to give the rest of it away to Congress. Although it looks like they got a break this morning since their latest pitch was turned down. BUT.......Hybrids are the result of an idea hatched in a committee........probably the same committee that designed the camel. What we need to be working on is a true fuel alternative.......like hydrogen fuel cells, or sea water or whatever. I don't know about you Tal, but if you have ever purchased or tried to use a so called combination tool, you know that it doesn't work very well for either objective. ........and neither will a hybrid car...............I am also a little amused that they (the auto makers) have to sit there and take all that ass chewing from a bunch of idiots that managed the housing debacle ............... Gee, I wonder if we could get Barny Frank to take over the automobile industry since he managed Freddy Mac so well.
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