Saturn Green Car Advisor Blog on Edmunds' Inside Line

November 6, 2009

Green Cars Get Green Light, Hybrid Sales Outperform Overall October Market

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Spurred by factory incentives, replenished stocks and the relative freshness of several models, sales of hybrid-electric cars and SUVs soared in October, easily outperforming the market as a whole.

Compared to October '08 - a month with six fewer hybrid models available - sales of Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Toyota hybrids were up 12.1 percent, while sales of conventionally powered cars and trucks were flat.

The one-month picture was even rosier, as October hybrid sales jumped 22.5 percent from September's, versus a 12.1 percent hike in sales of conventional models.

Nissan, which has only one model - the Altima hybrid, - and sells it in just the nine states with the toughest emissions standards, was the only hybrid maker to record a sales decline for both periods, dropping 46 percent from a year earlier and 13 percent from September.

As with most hybrids - Toyota's Prius excepted - Nissan's actual numbers are quite small because of low sales volumes. October's sales drop represented just 46 fewer Altima hybrid sales than in September.

Toyota's redesigned 2010 Prius, sweetened by a small factory incentive, remained by far the segment leader, accounting for 55 percent of all hybrid sales for the month.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 6, 2009, 1:18 PM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Hybrids

October 2, 2009

Hybrids Down, But Not Out In September as Clunker Cash Flees Market.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

The cash for clunkers frenzy that pulled many hybrid shoppers into the market earlier than they'd intended in July and August caused a big letdown in September as sales of gas-electric cars and trucks, which had been rising steadily all year, plunged 48.4 percent.

Only 19,977 hybrids were sold in September, down from 38,701 in August. The sales slide was the first in several months and was worse that that of the far larger conventional vehicle segment, which dropped by 40.9 percent from August.

Falling sales of the Toyota Prius - they were down 42 percent for the month - contributed heavily to the numeric decline although almost every hybrid model lost ground.

On a month over month basis there were no corporate winners in the hybrid segment as even Toyota - the industry leader with three out of every four hybrid sales - saw a 39.7 percent decline in its Toyota and Lexus hybrids.

And that was the segment's best performance.

Lots of Losers

Nissan, which has been on a tear with its single offering, the Altima hybrid sedan (helped by generous incentives in recent moths), saw its hybrid sales plunge 89.1 percent in September; Honda, the number two hybrid company, saw sales fall 61.6 percent; Ford, which had been rising since the March introduction of its Fusion hybrid sedan, was off 54.5 percent, and GM's hybrid sales fell by 40.8 percent.

Compared to sales at the end of the third-quarter last year- when the financial industry collapse began and the bottom fell out of the auto market, the picture was a little better as hybrid sales last month were down just 4.1 percent from September '08.

In contrast, conventional car sales fell 22.5 percent in the September-September comparison.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell October 2, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: September 2009 Hybrid Sales

Hybrid Sales Up Again in August, Carried By Clunker Cash and Slow-Growing Acceptance

Nissan Altima hybrid was one of the stars of August, more than tripling sales for the month despite limited availability.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

The federal Cash for Clunkers program may have been good for conventional cars in August, but monthly sales performance was a letdown for hybrids after an explosive July.

Oh, sales of gas-electric cars and SUVs were up last month - a 9.2 percent gain from July, but that pales by comparison to the 35 percent gain the segment recorded in July over June and doesn't stand up well, either, against the 26.6% August increase posted by conventionally powered vehicles (cars and trucks except hybrids).

Overall, however, August 2009 hybrid sales of 38,701 gas-electric cars, SUVS and pickups were up 48.6 percent from 26,044 in August '08 - a significant gain explained in large part by the addition of half a dozen new hybrid models, including the Honda Insight, Ford Fusion and Lexus HS250, that weren't available a year earlier.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 2, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: August 2009 Hybrid Sales

August 4, 2009

July Hybrid Sales Explode With Clunker Cash and New Prius Excitement

Toyota's Perennial Best-Seller Records 48% Sales Jump For Month; Honda Hybrids Flat

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

If Cash for Clunkers lit a fire under July's auto dales in the general market, it apparently set off a rocket booster under the hybrid market.

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It was blue skies for Toyota as its 2010 Prius rebounded in July.
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Sales of gas-electric cars, SUVs and trucks were up an impressive 35 percent in July - for the month and from a year earlier. Almost all hybrid cars best the 22 mph minimum combined EPA mileage that qualifies a vehicle to be purchased using a cash for clunkers voucher. By comparison, sales of conventional new vehicles rose 15.4 percent for the month and were down 13 percent from July '08.

The explosive performance was led almost single-handedly by Toyota's 2010 Prius, which saw its first full month of sales with an adequate supply on hand at dealerships.

"I think hybrids are benefiting from the buzz of new models such as the 2010 Prius and Honda Insight and fresh models in segments other than compact car, as well as from Cash for Clunkers," said Edmunds.com industry analyst Jessica Caldwell.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell August 4, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: CarSales

July 31, 2009

Still Shopping? With Big Rebates, Hybrids and Diesels Can Be Attractive

If C4C Comes Back, Tech Premium For Many Could Be Offset; Manufacturer Rebates Would Do Same

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Got a gas guzzler that would qualify under the cash for clunkers program for a federal credit toward a new, more efficient car or truck? (That's if we still have a cash for clunkers program when the dust settles from Thursday's reveation that the programs's initial funding apparently has run dry.)

The situation's up in the air right now, but if you are in the mood to keep doing research, or perhaps have had the car-buying impulse jump-started and have decided to take the plunge - clunker incentive or no - this is a good time to look at hybrids and diesels.

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2009 Camry Hybrid has lowest technology premium, $239.

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If Congress keeps cash for clunkers going, or automakers step up with bigger incentives of their own to keep the market moving, the credits - ranging in the C4C program from $3,500 to $4,500 depending on the fuel economy of the new car or truck - could help make a previously unaffordable hybrid or clean diesel a lot more compatible with your budget.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 31, 2009, 7:09 AM
Categories:: Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Diesel, Ford, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Cash For Clunkers

July 8, 2009

GM "On Track" for Plug-In Crossover by 2011, Says Product Planning Chief

Sale of Saturn Brand, Which Was To Get the New Hybrid, Won't Delay Its Launch

Following up on last month's report of a possible Buick dual-mode plug-in hybrid in 2011 to replace the Saturn plug-in that was dropped when GM sold the brand:

GM's product development chief has told Reuters news service that the company is on track to bring out a plug-in crossover SUV by 2011.

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This Buick mock-up could be the new GM plug-in hybrid.

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"I can tell you that I won't lose one day in terms of customers being able to walk into dealerships and actually purchase a plug-in," GM Vice Chairman Tom Stephens said in an interview with the news service.

Stephens also said GM isn't ignoring the idea of a battery-electric city car: "I think there's pent-up demand for the technology," he said of GM's work on electric-drive vehicles. "My job is to get it out there and get it right the first time but then get it cost-effective so that we can do a huge number."

Stephens has been head of GM product development since April, just in time for the Obama administration auto industry task force's examination of GM's business plan -- a review that wound up with the administration pushing GM into bankruptcy last month.

The company's turnaround plan -- submitted to secure operating loans from the federal government -- calls for GM to introduce at least 14 hybrid and other advanced technology vehicles in the next three years.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 8, 2009, 1:43 PM
Categories:: Buick, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Saturn
Technorati Tags:: GM Plug In Crossover

June 15, 2009

Does New Buick Crossover Get GM Dual-Mode Plug-in Hybrid System?

Volt Fan Site Says Buick Now Gets System Formerly Planned for Saturn Vue

The leading Chevrolet Volt fan site , GM-Volt.com, which General Motors often uses to launch trial balloons and leak info, says it has learned that the General plans to migrate its plug-in dual-mode hybrid system from the Saturn Vue to a new Buick crossover (right) expected to be launched in 2011.

Plans for the Vue two-mode plug-in went out the window when financially ailing GM agreed last week to sell its Saturn unit to Penske Automotive, which will use contract manufacturers to build cars after 2011.

Until then,GM has agreed to continue making the Vue, Aura and Outlook for Saturn, but only the conventional models -- there's been no deal yet on the Saturn mild-hybrids, and the changeover to (probably) overseas contract manufacturers under Penske would begin just as the rechargeable two-mode plug-in system comes on-line at GM.

The new Buick, shown when a camera picked up an image of the clay styling model during a recent CBS News interview with GM design chief Ed Welburn (warning, there's a 30-second commercial before the interview video begins), shares the Vue's platform, so is set up for easy installation of the dual-mode system.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell June 15, 2009, 7:37 AM
Categories:: Buick, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Saturn
Technorati Tags:: Buick

June 11, 2009

Malibu Hybrid Joins Saturn Hybrids on List of Soon-to-be-Extinct GM Models

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

The Chevy Malibu hybrid - a hybrid that really wasn't - soon won't be.

General Motors is killing the car, citing slow sales and a hefty backlog, according to the Wall Street Journal, which broke the news Wednesday night in the subscriber-only portion of its online publication.

We can't say we'll miss it.

The Malibu hybrid is what's called a mild-hybrid, too mild in this case. Its small electric motor isn't really used for much, other than providing instant start-up for the gas engine, which shuts down at stop signs and other situations where a conventional car would sit and idle.

The stop-start function saves a tiny bit of gas and helps cut noxious, smog causing emissions, but does nothing to make the Malibu hybrid competitive with cars like the Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry hybrids - cars that should be rivals but are clearly too superior to even be on the same court as the Chevy.

The WSJ report cites an unnamed GM spokesman as saying the company will continue making Malibu Milds for the commercial and government fleet markets, but not for regular consumer - who don't seem to want them, anyway.

Since it's inception last August, sales of the Malibu hybrid have averaged just 388 a month. Its best month was one of its last - May, with 706 sales, and those thanks largely to fleet buying and fairly big incentives. It's worst month was January, with just 145 sales.

One reason the Malibu hybrid did so poorly that that GM failed to make a compelling case for it.

The car, like its conventional Malibu siblings, is a good one - perhaps one of the best sedans GM has turned out in decades.

But a base 4-cylinder 2009 Malibu costs $22,325 before whatever incentives GM and its dealers are throwing on the hood these days. The 2009 Malibu hybrid, with all the same regular equipment and a few upgrades including its petite hybrid system (batteries, electric motor, regenerative braking to charge the batteries and a beefed-up power management computer to make it all work) comes in at $3,950 more.

Worse, the system delivers just 33 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, according to EPA estimates, while the regular 4-cylinder delivers 33 mpg. That's a lot of premium to pay for a 3 percent bump in fuel economy and not much else.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell June 11, 2009, 12:32 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, General Motors, Saturn
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid

June 5, 2009

Fate of Saturn Hybrids Depends on Final Terms of Penske Deal

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

One of the items still to be worked out as Penske Automotive Group and General Motors Corp. finalize the agreement that will make Saturn a Penske property is whether the two Saturn hybrids will stay or go.

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Aura hybrid is one of the two Saturn hybrids whose fate is unclear as Penske takes over the brand.
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GM owns the technology and while it has agreed to continue building the Saturn Aura, Vue and Outlook models for Penske for the next two years, there's be no deal yet for continued production of the Aura hybrid, Vue Greenline hybrid or the long-promised Vue plug-in hybrid, GM spokesman Steve Janisse told Green Car Advisor.

"'TBD,'" he said. "What happens is 'to be determined' in negotiations over the next 60 days."

Dropping the the Saturn hybrids wouldn't be a big blow sales-wise - they haven't been very popular, accounting for only 1,402 sales so far this year. That's 134 Aura sedans and 1,268 Vues and is just 4 percent of total Saturn sales through May

But the hybrids' fuel economy does help boost Saturn's overall CAFE average.

That could be a help to Penske as federal fuel economy standards climb nearly 30 percent from now through 2015 , but only if GM agrees to sell the vehicles at a cut-rate price.

We'll keep you posted.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell June 5, 2009, 12:49 PM
Categories:: General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Saturn
Technorati Tags:: Penske Buys Saturn

Saturn to Empasize Fuel Economy, May Build EVs, Under Penske Ownership

Electric vehicles may be the first to be built in the U.S. by the new Saturn, says Roger Penske, the race driver-turned-automotive entrepreneur whose Penske Automotive Group has agreed to acquire Saturn from General Motors Corp.

In an exclusive interview with Edmunds.com shortly after announcing the deal in Detroit this afternoon, Penske said that the Obama administration's new emphasis on development of battery-powered vehicles means EVs "will be right at the forefront" and "might be the first produced" by a Penske-owned Saturn.

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Vue crossover is one Saturn model that will live on under new deal.
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Penske, who has the U.S. distribution deal for Daimler's Smart Car, including the upcoming Smart Fortwo EV, said that Saturn and Smart would be kept separate and Saturn dealers wouldn't be asked to market Smarts.

He said with 3.5 million Saturn's already sold, he's confident there's enough of a loyal customer base to make the brand successful as a stand-alone and that he intends to emphasize fuel efficiency and low price in future models to build sales volume back to the 200,000-a-year level. Saturn sales have slipped to less than 100,000 a year under GM.

Read Editor Michelle Krebs' entire interview with Penske at our sister blog, Edmunds AutoObserver.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell June 5, 2009, 12:01 PM
Categories:: General Motors, Plug-ins and Electric, Saturn
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

June 3, 2009

Incentives, Concern Over Rising Fuel Prices Help Hybrids Outpace Market in May

Sales of hybrid cars and trucks outperformed the market in May, giving lie to the belief, popular among mainstream industry analysts and pundits, that Americans are only interested in the gas-electric vehicles when fuel prices are stratospheric.

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2009 Prius was top hybrid with best sales in 7 months.
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In a month when sales of non-hybrid vehicles rose 12.9 percent from the prior month, hybrid sales were up 18.2 percent. Incentives were applied liberally to hybrids and conventional vehicles alike during May, reducing the likelihood that cash-back offers or cheap interest rates unfairly boosted hybrid sales.

And while sales of both hybrids and conventional vehicles fell far short of matching year-earlier tallies, hybrid sales were off only 26.7 percent from May, 20008, compared to a 33.5 percent decline for non-hybrids.

At the same time, conventional small car sales fell short of overall market performance, indicating that shoppers had more than just fuel economy on their minds. The hybrid market may be benefiting from increased concern that fuel prices, which have been below $3 a gallon for nearly a year after approaching the $4-per-gallon mark last summer, are on the rise again and may be heading for new highs.

In all, dealers sold 25,693 hybrids last month, up from 21,735 in April but down from 35,042 in May 2008.

With the exception of Toyota's Camry hybrid, the top-selling Prius - which continues to dominate the U.S. hybrid market - and Honda's Civic hybrid, sales of individual models are low enough that it doesn't take much to cause a large jump in percent of increase or decline.

That said, Ford's new Fusion sedan hybrid scored an impressive 75 percent gain from April while sales of the Ford Escape SUV hybrid were up 62.2 percent for the same period.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell June 3, 2009, 5:00 AM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo
Technorati Tags:: Hybrid Sales

May 4, 2009

Honda, Ford Lead Hybrid Sales to Slight April Gain in Otherwise Dreary Market

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Hybrid sales in the U.S. rose in April for the fourth consecutive month and posted the highest monthly volume since October 2008.

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Honda's 2010 Insight was one of the bright spots in the U.S. hybrid market in April.
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The bump illustrates the influence that novelty and price still have on the market: Honda's new Insight, Ford's new Fusion and a heavily incentivized Honda Civic hybrid overcame slumping sales of many other gas-electric models to account for the gain.

But in a month when car and light truck sales overall still fell well below the one-million mark, the performance of the hybrid segment wasn't much to get excited about.

The month-over-month increase wasn't strong enough, for example, to put April's hybrid sales in contention with April 2008, when gasoline prices averaged above $3.50 a gallon, car buyers were scouring the market for fuel-efficient models and recession hadn't begun wreaking havoc with the economy.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell May 4, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: 2010 Honda Insight

April 28, 2009

Saturn Hybrids, Including Promised Plug-In, No Longer in Vue

Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid, due this year, and plug-in Vue due in 2011 now appear dead.

GM says it will kill Saturn to help make some of its financial woes go away, and we expect the beleaguered automaker and its federal minders have done the number crunching and know whereof they speak.

But in killing its most fuel-efficient brand, GM also will be ending plans for several new Saturn hybrids, including dual-mode and plug-in hybrid Saturn Vue crossovers.

We figure that with its dramatic new restructuring plan also calling for the end of Hummer, Pontiac and Saab as GM brands, killing Saturn and its hybrids (it already markets the Vue Greenline mild hybrid and the Aura full hybrid sedan) won't damage GM's average fuel economy standing. Loss of the less-efficient Hummer and Pontiac brands will cancel out loss of Saturn and Saab in the annual corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) computation.

But GM tells us that it doesn't have plans to quickly shift the Vue hybrids -- existing and planned -- onto surviving Chevrolet, GMC, Buick or Cadillac platforms, and that's a shame. It would seem to run counter to the government's goal of getting a million plug-ins on the road by 2020.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell April 28, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Saturn
Technorati Tags:: General Motors

March 5, 2009

Incentives Helped Hybrids in February; Sales Down Less than Industry Overall

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Sales of hybrid cars and SUVs continued falling in February but their plunge was slowed somewhat by a strong updraft of incentives.

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Camry hybrid sales were down 50 percent from February '08 but with incentive spending rose 82 percent from January
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While new car sales overall were down 41 percent from a year earlier, hybrid sales were off just 28.5 percent with 16,020 vehicles sold, down from 22,411 in February 2008.

The gas-electric cars cost more than their conventional counterparts and haven't been doing well as the economy tanks and gas prices remain relatively low.

Sales also have been slowed as interested consumers hold off in anticipation of the new Honda insight compact 5-passenger hybrid and the redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius, both due to hit showroom floors soon.

One Gainer

February saw only one gain - the Lexus RX400 hybrid crossover SUV was up 31 percent from a year earlier - but several models posted smaller declines than the segment as a whole.

The Lexus RX400 hybrid was helped by significant incentive spending, as Toyota's luxury division poured an average of $6,338 into each vehicle, according to Edmunds.com's True Cost of Incentives data. That was up from just $503 per vehicle incentive spending on the RX400 hybrid a year earlier and was $1,300 more than Lexus was spending on RX400 incentives in January.

Both the Ford Escape hybrid and the Toyota Camry posted big gains for the month. The Escape, with 1,172 sales, climbed 55.6 percent from January and the Camry, with 2,080 sales, was up 82.3 percent.

Camry sales really show the power of incentives: the car was among the worst performers in comparing February '08 and '09 sales, down almost 50 percent.To get the big January to February improvement, Toyota pumped up incentive spending on the model to $1,495 per vehicle from "virtually nothing in January," said Edmunds.com industry analyst Jessica Caldwell.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell March 5, 2009, 12:46 PM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Hybrid Sales

February 5, 2009

Hybrid Sales Swirled Down Same Drain as Conventional Cars and Trucks in January

By John O'Dell, Senior Edito r

No surprise, hybrid sales in January went down the drain along with the rest of the industry.

The gas-electric cars, pricier than their conventional counterparts, typically don't do well when gas prices are cheapish, as they are these days.

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Lexus RX 400h was one of only two hybrids to post a gain over January '08 sales.
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Add in a recession teetering on the edge of depression and the picture is grimmer.

Piling on, Toyota and Honda -- the industry's hybrid sales leaders -- have new models coming out in a few months, a situation that doesn't do much to promote sales of models that are soon to be outdated.

The only good news is that, as a percentage of an overall abysmal market, hybrids gained in January, rising to a 2.33 percent market share from 1.97 percent in December and 2.14 percent a year earlier.

In terms of market share, January was the seventh-best month for hybrids since the first model went on sale in the U.S. in 1999.

Good market share in a bad market isn't much to cheer about, though. In terms of sales volume, January was the worst month for hybrids in almost three years.

Total sales of 15,393 hybrid cars and SUVs were down 12.8 percent from December and plunged 31.2 percent from a year earlier.

The last time sales were lower was February 2006, when only 14,957 hybrids were sold.

Gains

As usual, Toyota's Prius was the month's volume leader with 8,121 sales -- almost 53 percent of the total.

The Prius also was one of only five hybrid models of the 16 tracked by Edmunds.com to post a gain from December, up 3.3 percent. Prius sales were down 28.6 percent from a year earlier, though.

The other January gainers were:

The Lexus 400h crossover hybrid, up 6.3 percent with 1,556 sales;
Toyota's Highlander hybrid SUV, up 10.6 percent with 984 sales;
Honda's Civic Hybrid, up 3.8 percent with 1,076 sales; and
The Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUV from Ford Motor Co., up 19.8 percent with 127 sales.

Despite the one-month gains, the Civic Hybrid was down 38.3 percent from January '07, the Mariner was off 28.7 percent from a year earlier, and the Highlander was down 54.1 percent.

Potential buyers holding back in anticipation of the improved 2010 Prius and Honda's new 2010 Insight Hybrid, both due later this year, didn't help any of the January-over-January sales comparisons, said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds.com's manager of industry analysis.

"Hefty price tags combined with the promise of newer, more-efficient models to come within the next few months have really hindered hybrid sales in January," she said.

Two hybrid models did post gains from their year-ago, marks, though.

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Nissan Altima Hybrid joined Lexus in winner's circle with an increase from January '08 sales.
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The Lexus 400h was up 28.3 percent from 1,211 sales a year earlier -- the only model to gain for the month and the year -- while Nissan's Altima Hybrid, with 644 sales last month, was up 36.1 percent from 473 sales in January '07.

Big Losses

The rest of the pack lost ground, although most are such low-volume sellers that the losses didn't make much impression on January's total sales picture.

General Motors Corp.'s hybrid cars and crossovers were the biggest losers, percentagewise, all but one falling more than 50 percent from December (none were in the market a year ago, so there are no January '07 numbers to compare to).

The Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid SUV was hit hardest, down 69.5 percent with 299 sold versus 981 in December.

The Chevy Malibu Hybrid sedan was a close second in the loser column, its 145 sales a 68.1 percent decline from 454 sales a month earlier.

The GMC Yukon Hybrid SUV (a twin to the Tahoe) was down 62 percent to 168 sales from 442 in December; Cadillac Escalade Hybrid SUV sales fell 56.8 percent to 132 from 306; the Saturn Vue Greenline Hybrid crossover was off 54.7 percent with 153 sales, down from 338; and the Saturn Aura Hybrid sedan was down 44.1 percent to 19 sales from 34 in December.

Sales of Ford's Escape Hybrid SUV fell 27.9 percent from December, to 753, and were off 41.9 percent from January '07, and Toyota's Camry Hybrid sedan dropped 39.6 percent from December, to 1,141 sales, and was down 49.7 percent from a year earlier.

In Toyota's luxury stable, the Lexus LS 600h L hybrid sedan posted 33 sales, down 34 percent from December and 68.6 percent below January '07 sales, and the Lexus GS 450h crossover hybrid dropped 19.6 percent from December, to 41 sales, and was off 35.9 percent from a year earlier.

Although the new models from Toyota and Honda could pump a little excitement into the hybrid market later this year, Caldwell and other analysts don't expect much improvement before the latter part of the year.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell February 5, 2009, 10:34 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: January Hybrid Sales

January 6, 2009

Hybrids Finish 2008 in the Dumps, With Prices Weakened and Sales Down

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

December's gas-electric car and SUV sales plunged almost 43 percent from the final month of 2007 as the year wound up on a discouraging note for the only alternative technology vehicles to so far make a dent in the auto market.

It was a near repeat of a stupendously disastrous November, when sales of fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles fell 50 percent from a year earlier.

For all of 2008, hybrid sales tumbled 10.3 percent with 310,724 models sold. While nothing to boast about, the hybrid segment bested the overall market's performance of an 18.2 percent drop for the year, according to Edmunds.com statistics.

The only bright spots were that hybrid sales in December actually rose a bit from November, and that 2008 hybrid sales were the second-best on record in the decade since 1999, when Honda introduced the first model, the now-discontinued two-seat Insight. The year's sales trailed only 2007, when 346,431 hybrids were sold.

Incentives Made the Difference

The 6.8 percent rise in sales volume from November to December was due to hefty incentives and discounting by most automakers and to an especially effective financing program that General Motors' financing arm provided for almost all of the company's lineup.

Industrywide, the same pricing and financing incentives led to a one-month sales gain of 20 percent.

In the hybrid segment, December's total of 17,652 sales was the second lowest of the year, trailing only November's dismal 16,536.

After that, you'd have to go back to January 2007, when only 17,591 gas-electric cars and sport-utes were sold, to find a worse month for hybrids.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 6, 2009, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: 2008 Hybrid Sales

December 17, 2008

Small Cars Improve in Crash Tests Overall, but They Suffer Big Hit in Side Impacts

Small cars fare better in crashes than they used to, but they still lag behind larger vehicles in protecting passengers. Their disadvantages are especially clear in side-impact crashes.

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Chrysler's PT Cruiser did poorly in the side-impact test.
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Of the nine small cars recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, all received the group's top rating of "good" in frontal crashes, but only two got good ratings when broadsided.

The Insurance Institute tested nine small cars for the 2009 model year in front, side and rear collisions. The group included the BMW Mini Cooper, Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Saturn Astra, Suzuki SX4, as well as the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe, which are essentially the same vehicle sold under two brand names.

Only the SX4 and Matrix, and its twin the Vibe, received good ratings for protection in side crashes. The Ford and Chevrolet were judged acceptable in side-impact protection, while the Hyundai and Saturn were marginal and the Chrysler was poor.

Only the Ford Focus was top-rated in rear-impact crashes that test how well the vehicles' seats and head restraints protect passengers. The Chrysler PT Cruiser was the worst performer, with poor ratings for side and rear protection.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 17, 2008, 1:17 PM
Categories:: BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Fuel Economy, Honda, Hyundai, MINI, Mitsubishi, Pontiac, Saturn, Scion, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: BMW Mini Cooper

December 3, 2008

November Hybrid Sales Plunge As Gas Prices Fall, Credit Tightens

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Sales of hybrid cars and SUVs took a worse beating than the industry as a whole in November, plummeting 50 percent from a year earlier and off 24.8 percent from October.

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Industry leading Prius hybrid sales in November were off 50 percent from a year earlier.
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Industrywide sales of all new cars and light trucks were down 37 percent from a year ago.

The hbrid segment was hit with the triple whammy of falling gasoline prices, high sticker prices in a recessionary economy and tight credit that cut many potential buyers out of the market.

"The environment is taking a back seat to the macroeconomic situation," said Edmunds.com market analyst Jessica Caldwell.

With gasoline falling below $2 a gallon, many hybrid models just didn't pencil out for consumers when their premium prices were compared with prices for other fuel efficient vehicles with conventional powertrains, she said.

Altogether, automakers sold 16,536 gas-electric hybrids last month, down from 21,979 in October.

To make matter worse, consumers purchased twice as many hybrids - 33,063 of them - in November 2007, when there were several fewer models available.

Hybrids' market share dropped to 2.21 percent in November, down from 2.62 percent in October and 2.82 percent in November 2007.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell December 3, 2008, 3:30 AM
Categories:: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Green Vehicles, Honda, Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Hybrid Sales Fall

November 13, 2008

Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid SUV Packing 260-HP, 30-MPG V6 Delayed Several Months

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

The 2009 Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid sport utility vehicle packing a V6 engine will be available in dealerships the first quarter of next year, not on the first day of next month as parent company General Motors had earlier announced.

"We regularly review the status of our vehicle programs and have decided to re-time the Vue 2-Mode launch for Q1 2009," GM spokesman Brian Corbett told Green Car Advisor in a email earlier today. No explanation for the "re-time" was given.

GM and Saturn representatives have touted the all-new hybrid model as delivering an estimated 50-percent fuel economy over the comparably powered and capable XR V-6 model.

The new hybrid will come fitted with a 3.6-liter V6 with direct injection achieving 260 horsepower, a 0-60 time estimated at 7.3 seconds and a 3,500-pound towing capacity.

It will come with GM's first front-wheel-drive two-mode transmission, a driving range exceeding 500 miles on a tank of gas, and get 28 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 13, 2008, 3:18 PM
Categories:: Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Saturn
Technorati Tags:: 2008 Saturn Hybrid

November 7, 2008

Tax Credits for Leanest Hybrids Axed Despite Recognized Importance of the Cars

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

In Washington's infinite wisdom, the tax incentives that have bolstered U.S. sales of the most fuel-efficient hybrids are gone or soon will be at a time when experts agree the vehicles could play an important role in reducing America's addiction to foreign oil and in stopping global warming.

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Honda's 42-mpg 2008 Civic Hybrid; its tax break ends next month.
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Tax incentives tied to Toyota's 2005-2008 model-year Prius, which gets a phenomenal EPA-rated 48 miles per gallon in the city, 45 mpg on the highway and 46 combined, expired in October 2007.

That same month saw the tax credit for the 2007-2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid vanish, despite the fact that model gets an EPA-rated 34 mpg combined.

And soon we'll witness another mystery: In the final minutes of next month, as people around the world usher out the old year and celebrate the new, the U.S. tax incentive for the 2006-2008 Honda Civic Hybrid (42 mpg combined!) will dissolve at the stroke of midnight.

But the strangeness won't end there.

Beginning next spring, Honda will offer a hybrid achieving a claimed 60 mpg. What tax break will Uncle Sam provide buyers of this gas-sipper, the 2010 Honda Insight? None whatsoever.

None, as in the 2,200 fewer taxpayer dollars than he's offering buyers of the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid right now, despite the fact that big ol' honkin' SUV achieves only 21 mpg combined.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (3); Scott Doggett November 7, 2008, 3:01 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chevrolet, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Legislation, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Nissan, Opinion, Saturn, Tax Incentives, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: 2007-08 Nissan Altima Hybrid

September 12, 2008

A Comprehensive Look at U.S. Tax Incentives for Buyers of Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

Some blogs are reporting today that the U.S. government is now offering tax incentives for five diesel models, three from Mercedes-Benz and two from Volkswagen.

We brought you that information weeks ago, when it had just come out of the oven, so to speak.

But in case you missed it, here it is again, in a wrap-up of all the fuel-efficient vehicles that are now eligible for U.S. tax credits.

Just click on the charts below for easily readable charts of what's available.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 12, 2008, 12:26 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Diesel, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Legislation, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Natural Gas, Saturn, Toyota, Volkswagen

August 20, 2008

Ford Escape Hybrid Among Small SUVs to Earn Top Safety Rating

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Many people if not most who buy a small or midsize sport utility vehicle do so because they believe it offers greater personal protection than a car. And for that extra measure of protection, they are willing to sacrifice fuel economy.

Today, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced that the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid earned top ratings in recent crash-test evaluations, bringing to three the number of hybrid SUVs getting superior mileage without compromising safety.

The other hybrid SUVs earning top-safety-pick honors from the respected institute are the midsize 2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid and the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, which the institute had previously evaluated.

But the big winner announced today by the institute was the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, which outperformed the competition in recent front, side and rear crash test evaluations of eight small SUV models.

The 2009 Escape, including the hybrid version, 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander and 2008 Nissan Rogue joined the Tiguan in earning top ratings in all three of the institute's evaluations. All four models come equipped with electronic stability control and side airbags, which the institute considered very important.

The institute ratings of good, acceptable, marginal or poor are based on results of front and side crash tests, plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against whiplash injury in rear crashes.

The 2008 Chevrolet Equinox, 2008 Jeep Patriot, 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara and 2-door 2008 Jeep Wrangler all earned the second-lowest rating of marginal.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett August 20, 2008, 8:02 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Saturn, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen

July 24, 2008

GM's 'Other' Plug-In Gas-Electric Hybrid Is Being Put Through the Paces

Right, engineers tweak plug-in Vues.

With all of the attention being given the Chevrolet Volt, it would be easy to forget that General Motors has got another plug-in gas-electric hybrid vehicle in the works.

That would be the plug-in version of the Saturn Vue crossover, and according to Larry Nitz, who heads GM's hybrid powertrain engineering department, the General is currently testing the Vue at the automaker's proving grounds in Michigan and Arizona.

In a posting on GM's FastLane Blog Wednesday, Nitz wrote that his team initially started testing with two early-development vehicles using nickel-metal-hydride battery technology but are now using lithium-ion batteries.

The team has "done extensive battery thermal management work in the lab and on the road," he wrote, but they "clearly still have a lot of work to do before the Vue plug-in is ready for production."

If you're interested in the status of the plug-in variant of the Vue, you'll want to read the posting.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 24, 2008, 2:22 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Saturn