Published September 5, 2012
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 reached 2.9 percent of total North American sales, the highest level since April. While the Prius hybrid continues to pace the segment, the Camry hybrid continues to perform well at over 10 percent of Camry sales, with annual sales in the range of 45,000.
The Prius c, v and Liftback had total sales of over 20,000, in line with sales reached in the spring, when gas prices were at high levels. An increase in gas prices in August is no doubt a major part of the increase.
The Toyota Prius breakdowns are accurate as we were able to get the numbers even though Toyota does not officially break these Prii models out. Also the Tesla Model S is a new addition. Its numbers are estimated, as privately held Tesla Motors – as is the case for Fisker Automotive and Coda Automotive – also does not publish monthly numbers.
Note also the addition of a natural gas category for one passenger car. We expect more natural gas cars will be added in months and years ahead, and were asked to track them, so here you are. The Porsche Cayenne and VW Beetle diesel are also new to the sheet. A spot for the Ford C-Max hybrid is included, but sales have not yet begun (September looks likely).
Volumes of the Malibu Hybrid – presently the highest selling non-Toyota hybrid – have increased in recent months, although they remain relatively modest.
As for the rest of the plug-in electric category, the big news this month has to be the Volt's success, with sales of 2,831 – well above the previous high of 2,289 in March and July's result of 1,849.
The extended-range electric Chevy is benefiting from better availability of the revised version of the product in California as well as an apparent increase in competitive lease programs. While Volt production will be suspended for four weeks beginning later this month, production is still at a high level suggesting that GM expects strong sales to continue. While these sales trail the initial estimates given by GM's CEO Dan Akerson when the product was launched, it does appear the vehicle is establishing itself in the marketplace.
Also doing better was the Prius plug-in which sold over 1,000 units in August, the best performance since May. Increasing gasoline prices likely played a role in this result.
These two vehicles resulted in plug-in sales 50 percent above July's sales. The share of total sales is still small, but last months share of 0.36 percent, the highest to date.
The growth rate of plug-ins, hybrids, and diesels as compared to last month, year ago or year-to-date, all increased at a greater rate than the overall market.
August 2012 Hybrid Car Sales Numbers
Hybrids sold in the U.S. (August 2012): 37,552
Hybrid Take-Rate: 2.93%
U.S. hybrid sales for August 2012
| Model | Units | vs. last month | vs. August 2011 | CYTD | vs. CYTD 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Prius Liftback | 13,311 | 40.3% | 40.2% | 106,461 | 26.9% |
| Toyota Camry | 3,840 | 20.1% | 1,107.5% | 30.587 | 397.2% |
| Prius c | 3,428 | 11.1% | n/a | 22,744 | n/a |
| Prius v | 3,325 | -1.7% | n/a | 29,130 | n/a |
| Chevy Malibu Hybrid | 2,414 | 24.6% | n/a | 11,320 | 47,066.7% |
| Hyundai Sonata | 1,766 | -6.5% | -57.3% | 14,221 | 18.1% |
| Lexus CT 200h | 1,472 | -1.8% | -29.5% | 12,415 | 67.6% |
| Lexus RX400/450h | 1,170 | -0.1% | 39.1% | 7,917 | 12.3% |
| Ford Fusion | 1,071 | -3.4% | 395.8% | 7,168 | -10.4% |
| Buick LaCrosse | 1,024 | 18.1% | n/a | 8,649 | n/a |
| Linc. MKZ Hybrid | 998 | 68.0% | 103.3% | 4,218 | 8.2% |
| Kia Optima | 907 | 7.0% | n/a | 7,005 | 1,638.2% |
| Honda Civic | 579 | 22.9% | 446.2% | 5,168 | 81.3% |
| Toy. Highlander | 449 | -4.3% | 98.7% | 3,969 | 23.8% |
| Honda CR-Z | 392 | 18.8% | -47.4% | 3,126 | -67.6% |
| Honda Insight | 341 | -18.6% | -64.5% | 4,801 | -63.4% |
| Buick Regal | 331 | 42.1% | n/a | 1,422 | n/a |
| Acura ILX | 136 | 23.6% | n/a | 395 | n/a |
| Lexus GS450h | 94 | 56.7% | 452.9% | 338 | 77.9% |
| Chevy Silverado | 70 | 79.5% | 288.9% | 367 | -43.1% |
| Porsche Cayenne | 69 | 15.0% | -46.1% | 798 | -28.9% |
| Cad. Escalade | 63 | 26.0% | 57.5% | 471 | -29.3% |
| Infiniti M35h | 60 | 1.7% | 11.1% | 433 | 116.5% |
| Porsche Panamera S | 48 | 37.1% | n/a | 323 | n/a |
| GMC Yukon Hybrid | 36 | 0.0% | 100.0% | 333 | -31.9% |
| Chevy Tahoe | 36 | -21.7% | 100.0% | 346 | -16.6% |
| Ford Escape | 34 | -32.0% | -94.0% | 1,248 | -81.5% |
| BMW ActiveHybrid5 (535ih) | 26 | 271.4% | n/a | 37 | n/a |
| GMC Sierra | 26 | 188.9% | 420.0% | 92 | -31.9% |
| VW Touareg Hybrid | 17 | 37.0% | 70.0% | 172 | -44.2% |
| Mercedes S400HV | 11 | 120.0% | -26.7% | 88 | -60.4% |
| Lexus HS 250h | 7 | 75.0% | -97.5% | 633 | -67.5% |
| Mercedes ML450 | 2 | 0.0% | n/a | 20 | 1,900.0% |
| Altima | 0 | -100.0% | -100.0% | 96 | -96.7% |
| BMW X6 | 0 | 100.0% | -100.0% | 4 | -88.6% |
| Lexus LS600hL | 0 | -100.0% | -100.0% | 40 | -25.9% |
| Mazda Tribute | 0 | n/a | -100.0% | 90 | -73.7% |
| BMW Hybrid 7 | -1 | -107.1% | -106.7% | 218 | -8.0% |
| Ford C-Max Hybrid | 0 | n/a | n/a | 0 | n/a |
| All hybrids | 37,552 | 18.8% | 77.3% | 286,863 | 64.6% |
| All vehicles | 1,280,360 | 11.3% | 19.8% | 9,678,702 | 14.7% |
August 2012 Plug-in Electric Car Sales Numbers
Plug-in cars sold in the U.S. (August 2012): 4,630
Plug-in Take-Rate: 0.36%
U.S. plug-in electric sales for August 2012
| Model | Units | vs. last month | vs. August 2011 | CYTD | vs. CYTD 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Volt | 2,831 | 53.1% | 837.4% | 13,497 | 325.5% |
| Prius PHV | 1,047 | 52.2% | n/a | 6,068 | n/a |
| Nissan Leaf | 685 | 73.4% | -49.7% | 4,228 | -31.5% |
| Mitsubishi i-MiEV | 37 | 12.1% | n/a | 403 | n/a |
| Ford Focus Electric | 34 | -10.5% | n/a | 169 | n/a |
| Tesla Model S | 20 | 12.1% | n/a | 49 | n/a |
| Honda Fit EV | 9 | 28.6% | n/a | 16 | n/a |
| Smart forTwo EV | 1 | -85.3% | 500.0% | 136 | 54.5% |
| BMW Active E | 0 | 100.0% | n/a | 673 | n/a |
| All plug-in cars | 4,664 | 53.2% | 180.3% | 25,239 | 167.7% |
| All vehicles | 1,280,360 | 11.3% | 19.8% | 9,678,702 | 14.7% |
August 2012 Natural Gas Car Sales Numbers
Natural Gas car sold in the U.S. (August 2012): 579
Plug-in Take-Rate: 0.05%
U.S. Natural Gas sales for August 2012
| Model | Units | vs. last month | vs. August 2011 | CYTD | vs. CYTD 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda Civic Natural Gas | 579 | 355.9% | n/a | 706 | n/a |
| All Natural Gas cars | 579 | 355.9% | n/a | 706 | n/a |
| All vehicles | 1,280,360 | 11.3% | 19.8% | 9,678,702 | 14.7% |
August 2012 Clean Diesel Car Sales Numbers
Clean Diesels sold in the U.S. (August 2012): 11,281
Diesel Take-Rate: 0.88%
U.S. clean diesel sales for August 2012
| Model | Units | vs. last month | vs. August 2011 | CYTD | vs. CYTD 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VW Jetta | 4,421 | 16.7% | -7.9% | 32,646 | -11.6% |
| VW Passat | 2,563 | 18.1% | 1,575,2% | 16,101 | 2,069.9% |
| VW Golf | 1,268 | 43.1% | 38.7% | 7,002 | 1.7% |
| BMW X5 | 850 | 12.1% | 42.1% | 6,679 | 51.1% |
| VW Touareg | 421 | 26.8% | 42.2% | 3,033 | 65.6% |
| Mercedes GL320 | 409 | 54.9% | 77.8% | 4,010 | 27.3% |
| Audi A3 | 402 | 32.2% | 23.9% | 2,720 | 4.8% |
| Porsche Cayenne | 299 | n/a | n/a | 299 | n/a |
| Mercedes ML320 | 268 | -36.9% | -16.0% | 3,933 | 79.1% |
| Audi Q7 | 183 | -20.8% | -44.2% | 1,968 | -25.5% |
| VW Beetle | 107 | n/a | 107 | n/a | |
| Mercedes S350 | 68 | -33.3% | n/a | 604 | n/a |
| Mercedes E320 | 12 | -94.3% | -95.9% | 1,823 | -8.0% |
| BMW 335d | 7 | 0.0% | -97.9% | 711 | -67.8% |
| Mercedes R320 | 3 | -66.7% | -62.5% | 347 | -10.8% |
| Jeep Gr Cherokee | 0 | n/a | -100.0% | - | -100.0% |
| All clean diesels | 11,281 | 18.9% | 28.1% | 81,983 | 24.0% |
| All vehicles | 1,280,360 | 11.3% | 19.8% | 9,678,702 | 14.7% |
