Published October 6, 2011
The HybridCars.com monthly sales dashboard is a collaboration of HybridCars.com and Baum & Associates, a Michigan-based market research firm focusing on automotive issues including the hybrid and electric vehicle market.
Hybrid sales declined from August—showing a drop of more than 20 percent compared to a year ago, while the overall market was up 10 percent compared to last September. Sales apparently were hit by continuing supply shortages of the Prius, and a slide in gas prices. Nobody knows were gas prices will go, but we expect Prius sales to increase as inventory returns. Volumes on other Japanese hybrids also declined, due both to availability and exchange rate issues.
Consumers jumped at pick-up trucks in September, but hybrid trucks—such as the Chevy Silverado Hybrid—remain a very small part of the gas-electric market.
Allthe top hybrid sellers dropped in September and are down for 2011—a year in which hybrid sales were expected to rise. In September, the hybrid take-rate was a disappointing 1.68 percent of new car sales.
Diesel volumes were also a letdown in September—falling 5 percent compared to a year ago. However, sales of clean diesel vehicles are up 30 percent for the year.
Chevy Volt sales increased in September as availability started to rise, and should jump even more in coming months as production moved above 2,000 units per month in August and September. Nissan LEAF sales have been relatively consistent, but did slide by a few hundred units compared to last month. Sales of plug-in cars broke the 10,000-unit mark in September.
Overall vehicle sales this month were tilted towards trucks—including crossovers—with pickups doing very well. This suggests that small business owners and other commercial interests see better times ahead and are buying these trucks to prepare for new business, and to replace their aging vehicles. Unfortunately, these segments have very little hybrid content and thus hybrid sales did not get a boost from the trend. In addition, a drop in gas prices—in large part due to poor economic news—reduced demand for higher mileage cars including electrics, hybrids, and diesels.
September 2011 Hybrid Car Sales Numbers
Hybrids sold in the US (September 2011):17,625
Hybrid Take-Rate:1.68%
US hybrid sales for September 2011
| Model | Units | vs. last month | vs. September 2010 | CYTD | vs. CYTD 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Prius | 9,325 | -1.7% | -18.2% | 93,243 | -9.8% |
| Hyundai Sonata | 2,000 | -51.6% | n/a | 14,042 | n/a |
| Lexus CT 200h | 1,444 | -30.8% | n/a | 8,852 | n/a |
| Lexus RX450h | 650 | -22.7% | -41.5% | 7,701 | -29.2% |
| Ford Escape | 566 | 0.5% | -28.6% | 7,305 | -16.8% |
| Ford Fusion | 552 | 155.6% | -67.0% | 8,548 | -47.5% |
| Honda CR-Z | 537 | -27.9% | -56.6% | 10,172 | 427.0% |
| Honda Insight | 512 | -46.7% | -69.5% | 13,618 | -13.9% |
| Linc. MKZ Hybrid | 455 | -7.3% | 4,450.0% | 4,353 | 43,430.0% |
| Honda Civic | 305 | 187.7% | -54.3% | 3,155 | -38.8% |
| Toyota Camry | 229 | -28.0% | -79.3% | 6,381 | -42.9% |
| Lexus HS 250h | 231 | -18.7% | -67.5% | 2,178 | -72.6% |
| Toy. Highlander | 218 | -3.5% | -58.3% | 3,425 | -31.9% |
| Altima | 217 | -31.8% | -57.5% | 3,098 | -40.7% |
| Porsche Cayenne | 112 | -12.5% | n/a | 1,235 | n/a |
| Chevy Silverado | 75 | 316.7% | -62.7% | 720 | -47.1% |
| Mazda Tribute | 32 | 37.3% | -39.6% | 374 | -24.3% |
| Infiniti M35h | 45 | -16.7% | n/a | 245 | n/a |
| Lexus GS450h | 18 | 5.9% | 0.0% | 208 | -8.8% |
| GMC Yukon Hybrid | 16 | -11.1% | -66.7% | 505 | -46.7% |
| Cad. Escalade | 14 | -65.0% | -82.9% | 680 | -25.1% |
| Mercedes S400 | 22 | 46.7% | -73.5% | 244 | -67.9% |
| BMW Hybrid 7 | 16 | 6.7% | 77.8% | 253 | 308.1% |
| VW Touareg Hybrid | 14 | 40.0% | n/a | 322 | n/a |
| GMC Sierra | 7 | 40.0% | -77.4% | 142 | -63.2% |
| Lexus LS600hL | 8 | -11.1% | -11.1% | 62 | -31.1% |
| BMW X6 | 4 | -300.0% | 100.0% | 39 | -83.3% |
| Chevy Tahoe | 1 | -94.4% | -98.8% | 416 | -64.3% |
| Chevy Malibu Hybrid | - | n/a | -100.0% | 24 | -93.8% |
| Mercedes ML450 | - | n/a | -100.0% | 1 | -99.9% |
| All hybrids | 17,625 | -16.8% | -20.6% | 191,541 | -4.7% |
| All vehicles | 1,049,754 | -1.8% | 9.8% | 9,485,612 | 10.3% |
September 2011 Plug-in Electric Car Sales Numbers
Plug-in cars sold in the US (September 2011):1,754
Plug-in Take-Rate:0.17%
US plug-in electric sales for September 2011
| Model | Units | vs. last month | vs. September 2010 | CYTD | vs. CYTD 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan LEAF | 1,031 | -24.3% | n/a | 7,199 | n/a |
| Chevrolet Volt | 723 | 139.4% | n/a | 3,895 | n/a |
| Smart ED | - | n/a | n/a | 88 | n/a |
| All plug-in cars | 1,754 | 5.0% | n/a | 11,182 | n/a |
| All vehicles | 1,049,754 | -1.8% | 9.8% | 9,485,612 | 10.4% |
September 2011 Clean Diesel Car Sales Numbers
Clean Diesels sold in the US (September 2011):7,663
Diesel Take-Rate:0.73%
US clean diesel sales for September 2011
| Model | Units | vs. last month | vs. September 2010 | CYTD | vs. CYTD 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VW Jetta | 4,158 | -13.4% | -14.1% | 41,083 | -27.0% |
| Volkswagen Golf | 694 | -24.1% | 59.5% | 7,576 | 84.1% |
| BMW X5 | 610 | 2.0% | -12.2% | 5,031 | -10.2% |
| BMW 335d | 449 | 32.1% | 46.3% | 2,655 | -3.4% |
| Mercedes ML320 | 360 | 12.9% | -0.8% | 2,556 | 39.0% |
| VW Touareg | 359 | 21.3% | 204.2% | 2,191 | 73.2% |
| Mercedes GL320 | 280 | 21.7% | -32.2% | 3,431 | 38.9% |
| Audi Q7 | 251 | -23.5% | -23.5% | 2,893 | 28.8% |
| Mercedes E320 | 251 | -14.6% | 25,000.0% | 2,232 | 1,910.8% |
| Audi A3 | 234 | -55.7% | -23.8% | 2,829 | 18.6% |
| Mercedes R320 | 17 | 112.5% | -65.3% | 406 | 53.2% |
| Jeep Gr Cherokee | - | n/a | -100.0% | 152 | -84.2% |
| All clean diesels | 7,663 | -13.0% | -5.1% | 73,777 | 30.9% |
| All vehicles | 1,049,754 | -1.8% | 9.8% | 9,485,612 | 10.3% |
