1,907: A troubling number in the hybrid and plug-in segment
Just 49 Silverado hybrid sales in October
More hybrid and plug-in models, less sales
In October, Ford sold more hybrids and plug-ins than any other automaker except Toyota. Unfortunately, Ford only sold 1,907 alternative powertrain vehicles.
Is the hybrid and plug-in segment stuck between a revolutionary new battery and a hard place?
Outside of the Toyota Prius, the numbers are ugly. For instance, GM sold 53 hybrid pickup trucks — the most important vehicle segment in America — and 88 hybrid SUVs. The Chevy Volt, on the other hand, had its best month ever, but it still posted only 1,108 sales — a relatively insignificant number in terms of overall October sales. (For a further breakdown of October’s hybrid and plug-in sales, check out AutoObserver).
What will turn the tide?
Many might suggest higher gasoline prices, but I say hold on. Higher gasoline prices might push hybrid sales up a bit, but probably not that much above 3 percent of overall sales. And even 4 or 5 percent still wouldn’t mean that much, and those numbers might be unrealistic as higher gasoline prices in this economy would just mean consumers have less to spend on vehicles. Thus, it would be far cheaper, at least in the short term, to simply downsize.
Outside of more tax credits and other incentives, can anything other than an almost revolutionary breakthrough in battery technologies push the hybrid and plug-in segment significantly higher? I doubt it.
There is definitely a critical gas price for hybrid demand, and $3.50 ain’t it.
There is also a critical mileage rating the will convince people to pay the extra money for a hybrid. The Prius, with a 50 mpg rating is still far superior to ALL of the competition.
Having a mileage rating that just barely reaches 40 mpg isn’t going to be enough, and just about every hybrid other than the Prius, tops out vat 40 mpg. People looking for 40 mpg are more likely to settle for one of several ICE vehicles that get 40 mpg and cost a whole lot less…..
If you build a good enough hybrid, people will buy it…..
Outside of Toyota, they don’t market them well. I agree that their choice of features on them is poor. On a larger scale, their choice of platforms is also poor. How is it that the people that own the Prius love it so much and you don’t hear much at all about the others. The good ones are in too low of a supply to get enough critical mass in the market to grow. The others (pickups, etc) don’t make enough gas savings sense to justify the cost now make you feel environmentally good.
If the manufacturers stopped forcing all the toys and bells into the hybrids and EVs, just to make them more expensive, then sales would increase. Nobody needs a steering wheel warmer or a talking GPS system in the dashboard. Buy some gloves and learn to read a map.
Henry Ford had the right idea to mass produce a vehicle to the point his own employees could afford to purchase one. And he wasn’t indicating the boardroom. He knew it had to be cheap enough that his workers could afford it.
Now, couple that logic with the fact that about 96% of the US population lives within metro zones (US Census Bureau), and you could create a positive campaign for hybrid and EV sales.
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[...] troubling number in the hybrid and plug-in segment Posted on November 7, 2011 by administrator More hybrid and plug-in models, less sales In October, Ford sold more hybrids and plug-ins than any … This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. ← How ex-racing champ [...]