Prius and Camry Hybrid Sales Soared in March
Although March is shaping up as a good month for hybrid sales with a record 31,652 units sold just by Toyota and Honda (data from Ford and Nissan still pending, and GM not reporting), it was the best month ever for Toyota and its hybrid sedans. (Even with the incomplete tally of 31,652, hybrids broke the 2% threshold for marketshare of new vehicles sales.)

March also marked a significant milestone for Toyota, with aggregate US sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrids topping the half-million mark.

Toyota posted sales of 28,453 hybrid vehicles in March, up 137% over the same period last year. The bulk of that came from the Prius, with a record-breaking 19,156 units sold, up 133.2% from the prior year.

The Camry hybrid was the second-best selling Toyota model, posting 5,144 units in March—its best monthly results to date. Hybrids represented 12.2% of all Camry models sold in the month. The Highlander Hybrid sold 2,501 units, down 16% from March 2006.

The Lexus Rx 400h sold 1,471 units, down 40% from the prior year. The Lexus GS450h sold 181 units, representing 92.8% of the combined GS 430/GS 450h models sold, and 8.6% of all GS models (including the GS 300).

Toyota’s calendar-year-to-date hybrid sales in the US totaled 61,635 units, an increase of 68% over the same period last year.

Link to My Hybrid Car News Web Page

TKCamry, thanks for the great find...

I wonder if it has anything to do with gas prices going back up significantly again.

I've noticed lately that a high percentage of my friends are now saying that their next car will be a hybrid. It seems that just this year the public's perception of hybrids has changed (or solidified) so that nearly everyone finds the technology appealing.

Undoubtedly these changes are due to well-designed models such as the TCH, Civic, Altima, etc. that mimic standard models without calling attention or demanding rigirous lifestyle changes to own one.

Steve Villatoro
www.stevenvillatoro.com
“An enlightened guide to small business mastery.”

I agree. Although, I still see VERY few hybrids around my area. Of the ones I see, the Prius tops the list.

Maybe they did like I did, and peeled off the hybrid badges to go stealth, hehe.

Steve Villatoro
www.stevenvillatoro.com
“An enlightened guide to small business mastery.”

That is possible BUT, they would also have to have put on LE/XLE badges and swapped out the TCH grill for a SE one. I have seen one TCH.

Uh-oh, I hope this thread won't go the way other "badge removal/grafting" topics ended up in the past:

http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/s...ead.php?t=7204
http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/s...ad.php?t=10251

My-oh-my, those were funny threads indeed...

< picking my nose >

Steve Villatoro
www.stevenvillatoro.com
“An enlightened guide to small business mastery.”

I still get the "looks" from other drivers when they notice the hybrid badges.

I am not sure if they are suprised that the camry comes as a hybrid or if they are thinking "**** environmentalist".

But either way, I have had many peope race through traffic just to slow next to me to take a better look.

Is the difference in the tail lights on the Camry a difference between Japan and Kentucky, or hybrid and non-hybrid? If it is the hybrid or not difference, than those of us in the know can tell the difference at a distance (badges or no badges). My Japanese car has a BIG backup light, and no red tail light on the trunk lid.

I know some volunteer fire fighters who have been instructed to make sure any hydrid vehicle involved in an accident is turned off. Apparently they can start moving sometimes even if you don't hear the ICE. I am happy to leave the badges in place on my jasper pearl car. If I am driving a car whose color makes me very visible, I want it's hybrid nature to be visible, too.

JoAnn
Overeager in MD