U.S. Hybrid Sales Rise 11.4% in October

07 November, 2009 05:30:00

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Reported sales of hybrid vehicles in the US increased 11.4% year-on-year in October to 24,475 units, grabbing 2.9% of the total new vehicle market.

The figures were boosted in part by the fact that there were 28 selling days this month, compared to 27 selling days last October.

Toyota posted October sales of 18,757 hybrid vehicles, up 10.9 percent over the same period last year.

Toyota Division posted sales of 15,603 hybrids for the month. Lexus Division posted October sales of 3,154 hybrids. Toyota’s hybrids now represent 77% of the total US hybrid market.

The Prius continues to dominate the whole hybrid sector, with a 55% market share, and sales of 13,496 units. Prius outsold the Honda Insight by an 8 to 1 margin.

Other Toyota hybrids showed mixed results: Camry Hybrid fell 49.6% to 1,407 units, while sales of the Highlander Hybrid fell 31.5% to 700 units. Lexus reported sales of 1,567 RX 450h hybrids, up 154.8%, 39 GS 450h hybrids, up 77.3% year-on-year, sales of the LS 600h hybrid fell 61.8% to 21 units. The new HS 250h Hybrid sold 1,527 units.

Ford sold 2,282 hybrid units in October, a 14.3 increase from October 2008. The Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids sold 949 units, down 52.5 per cent. The Fusion and Milan hybrid sedans sold 1,333 units, representing 8.9 per cent of total Fusion and Milan sales.

Thanks to the introduction of the new Honda Insight Hybrid, which sold 1,739 units during the month, Honda reported a 21.9 per cent increase in hybrid sales during October with a total of 1,978 vehicles sold. Sales of the Civic Hybrid however, dropped 85.3 per cent year on year to 239 units.

General Motors reported a total of 1,159 hybrids in October, a drop of 22.5 per cent from October 2008.

Nissan reported sales of 299 Altima Hybrids in October, down 46% year-on-year.

[source: Green Car Congress]

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