August 20th, 2009
U.S. hybrid car sales
Hybrid sales are way down this year compared to 2008 but a turnaround in July shows the curve heading upward for now. Helped along, no doubt, by “cash for clunkers.”
2009 sales of hybrid cars in America: just over 161,000 while a year ago at this time nearly 210,000 had been sold. Gas prices last year at this time were around $4. Also, consumers were less realistic abut how bad the job picture would get.
July, 2009, however saw 35,000 hybrids sold, over one-fifth of all sales for the first seven months.
Over 19,000 Toyota Prius cars were sold in the US in July, more than half of hybrid total sales. The Ford Fusion was a distant second with fewer than 3,000 sold, but still a move up for Ford that had never captured second place in this category. Fusion edged out the Toyota Camry which was third.
A newsman since 1969, Harry Fuller has worked for CBS, ABC, CNBC Europe, CNET and was founding news director at TechTV. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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