Hybrid cars market fading
No more markupsA few weeks ago I posted as story about Toyota Prius discounts that I had noticed in the LATimes - one of the hottest markets for hybrid cars.
Considering the economy, such discounts shouldn't be surprising, especially with gas prices declining on a daily basis. In fact, November Prius sales were almost half of what they were the previous year.
Data from Cars.com also indicates a slow down in Prius demand. However, the data also seems to indicate that Toyota's supply of hybrids is also down.
Nonetheless, there is no doubt that demand for hybrid cars is fading. If gas prices remain low for a few years, isn't it inevitable that automakers will slow their push towards such vehicles?
Labels: Hybrid Vehicles, toyota prius
posted by Dahcredyns at
9:24 AM
5 Comments:
Just caught some coverage on CNBC where some analyst whom has been very good at predicting trends in the currency and energy markets sees $21 oil in the short term and overall low prices the next few years. It will, however, rise and by 2015 it will be $200.
Still, if gas is cheap for 3 or 4 years, won't interest in fuel economy inevitably decline?
caught some more coverage. basically, it comes down the recession and economic recovery. if u think it could take a few years to come out of this recession, expect cheap gas. however, if u think the economy can recover by next year, gas prices will go up.
personally, i don't see how the recovery can be anything but a multi-year process.
Oil prices of $21.00 for any length of time would bankrupt a few countries in the Middle East as well as Russia. Say goodbye to Putin and Ahmadinejad. No way they would survive the economic collapse of their countries! My concern is that the electrification of cars would suffer for another decade. We need to keep our eyes on the long term. I think by 2015, we will see gas shortages which will be the ultimate game changer!
Here lies the utter stupidity of the general public. Rather than embracing low fuel prices as a chance to improve their fuel consumption further, they revert back to large, gas guzzling pieces of shit.
I didn't think people were this stupid...but they really truly are.
Case in point..someone will run and buy a V6 for $20K before they run and buy a hybrid for $20K.
People simply don't understand the benefits of fuel efficient cars...which is beyond just the fuel consumption. The pollute less, they emit less harmful components. Etc.
I've always said that what people drive and the way they drive are clear reflections on who they are.
Someone who drives a hug SUV or a high powered car to accelerate quickly and drives like a douche...you can bet on it that he or she is a douche.
It's an ego thing, a power trip, the only thing they can control in their lives is the thing they drive. And they use these vehicles to make up whatever is lacking in t heir lives ..confidence, personality, ego, body parts, etc.
I can't believe people can't put these two things together.
So yeah..Dahc...I think it will suffer. Every single time the US has begun a boom in smaller vehicles this happens? Coincidence?
with so much money at stake i don't think such 'coincidences' are possible.
still, i think it will take nothing short of a miracle to avoid the next gas scare zendude refers to in a financially satisfactory way. even if gas prices were $3.00/gallon, i still don't think we would be acting fast enough.
hopefully, there is a huge technological breakthrough looming that will change everything about the auto industry. if not, it will be impossible to react quickly enough.
we've been playing on borrowed credit for too long and now its time to pay up.
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