I don't think these numbers are surprising. You're starting with low baseline numbers in a niche which is expanding its product availability. Actually I'm a bit surprised to see the numbers for January trending down from December -- I would have expected a bump (especially for Toyota) because of the new tax benefits for hybrids which phase out quicker the more hybrids a given manufacturuer sells.

Seems that chart is more a reflection of fuel price movements and the uncertainty about them especially around the time of the major hurricanes. People have now sort of reset their expectation levels about gas prices and seem to be adapting to the budgetary consequences of $2.00-$2.25/gallon vis-a-vis the sense that prices should be in the $1.25-$1.50 range. It also seems people's sense of the uncertainty of upward price movements has abated -- it certainly isn't something widely discussed in the media anymore.

It should be interesting to see what happens come summer this year.

Could the slow down in January be part of a yearly cycle? Maybe after the holiday season people in general have less money to spend on a car? Maybe the decrease would have been steeper without the tax credit...

does anyone know any hybride parts providers in the US on the stock market? I'd imagine that would be a pretty good investment

Imagine if all these hybrids were just electric vehicles like they should have been.



By now they would be just as good and put out zero emissions (from the vehicle itself).



I guess EV's are too good. Car manufacturers would loose the revenue they get from maintenance and repair of more complicated vehicles. That is why we can't wait for a big manufacturer to develop EV's, people have to start doing it in the grassroots level.

"Imagine if all these hybrids were just electric vehicles like they should have been.

By now they would be just as good and put out zero emissions (from the vehicle itself)."

They also would have had limited range, reduced performance (and range) in the winter, and all the other drawbacks of pure EV technology which has limited it from the beginning.

"Zero emissions" is also deceptive, since there's no free lunch. Grid power is 50% coal, 20% nuke, 15% natural gas, etc, so it's inaccurate to paint EVs as "clean" any more so than calling hybrids "green". It's all going to depend on the energy sources and what one considers most important (eg, local air pollution versus global warming).

Hybrids are a wonderful advance in technology, and should be celebrated. It's not a cure-all, but I would think that fans of EVs would like the fact that the hyrbid market is driving advances in battery technology far faster than would have happened in their absence.

Being a follower of the auto industry in general MGR is right, these figures are for the slowest time of the year.

Ford should be ramping up sales when the Fusion hybrid becomes available around the '08 model year. They are currently working on having their own supply chain for components to avoid what I feel is a mistake on their part. They were getting their hybrid drivetrain from the same company as Toyota and Toyota owns 40% of that company. Thus they can only get 20 - 24K hybrid trannys. With Toyota ramping up hybrid models and sales Ford needs to build in house or have another supplier.

Where are the other automakers? Hybrids are proving themselves so what of GM, DC, Europe and the rest of the Asian automakers. I read that they have projects in developement but so far Toyota, Honda and Ford are the only automakers to put hybrids in the hands of consumers.

"Where are the other automakers? Hybrids are proving themselves so what of GM, DC, Europe and the rest of the Asian automakers."

GM didn't exactly miss the boat, just the demographic. Their one hybrid is a full size truck targeted to commercial fleets. They'll offer a hybrid in the 2006 Saturn VUE. GM is still trying to milk the SUV market, not realizing that people who drive trucks aren't likely to be concerned with fuel economy, and vice versa. They'll offer the Sienna (Minivan) and Malibu (Midsize passenger car) in hybrid flavors in... 2007. And yes, GM's sloth in getting new products to market to capitalize on trends is one reason their stock flopped so hard this past year. If anyone had any brains over there, they'd offer a hybrid diesel Aveo - something they can do with stuff they have more or less on the shelf.

Also, Nissan will have a hybrid Altima in 2006. I have a feeling they're not going for fuel savings as much as taking advantage of the monster torque to shore up the low end engine in the base model Altima.

I find it interesting that the economy hybrids are doing well, but the performance oriented ones seem to be lagging.

It will be interesting to see how these climbing curves persists as the high-density battery shortage becomes more apparent. While all these vehicles could easily be stepped up, for little additional cost, to full-fledge plug-in hybrids at the touch of a button, as they are in Japan, it's evident now that this is not the course of action major hybrid distributors want to take on the US market. There is a high demand for hybrids, met by a shortage, because suitable batteries are not available, not because the technology isn't there, but because there are ongoing battles as to who owns what and has the rights to develop what for whom and when. It's all about patent law and licensing rights now, it's no longer about engineering. Hybrids sold today are barely getting any increased fuel efficiency over any conventional automobile. They are on the other hand reducing greenhouse gases dramatically. So it's like the oil companies having their cake and eat it to. They get to sell their gasoline, and they get to say the air will get cleaner. That doesn't wash with me when I know I have the technology to build zero to 60 in under 4 seconds pure EVs that will top 150 mph and get 200 miles on one charge, and the only people standing in the way are the folks who own the patents, and won't let us commercialize them! A prototype here, a prototype there won't change a thing... we'll keep burning oil, we'll keep trashing the oceans... all the while we could be living in a futuristic paradise. Blame MIT! Read Fire From Ice by Gene Mallove, who died under mysterious circumstances a couple years ago. There's an interview with Gene in the EVWorld archives... check it out. Hybrids, to quote John Wayland in the new issue of Make magazine are: "Just training wheels for the masses!"

anyone know any good books, videos or audio about alteranative fuel technology suppression in the automotive industry? i've heard about this but don't have any info on it.

if this has been going on it would be something i'd like to see michael moore make a documentary on.

anyone know any good books, videos or audio about alternative fuel technology suppression in the automotive industry? i've heard about this but don't have any info on it.

if this has been going on it would be something i'd like to see michael moore make a documentary on.

Zaxxon, read Car Wars, pick out ANY book listed in the Electrifying Times website bookstore! Read the book: "Who owns the Sun!" Read the Congressional hearing on the suppression of the GE electric car in 1968!!! Just Google man... Google... The Internet is our oyster, but hurry before they yank off all the good pages! We got the head start... But for how long? And don't kid yourself about Michael Moore, he has had more than one opportunity to speak out on behalf of green automotive innovation... I put that very question to him in 1990! He never has, and he never will. Michael is not who you think he is. He's like the rest of them, he still thinks EVs are for pussies!

Zaxxon - Check out this documentary the will show at Sundance: www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com

lou and remy thanks for the info! i will read/watch.

While it is true that high percentages do not really mean much when the base is low, they do certainly mean that there is acceleration, at least for now...Whether this acceleration will be shortlived is something one got to wait and see

Vic, BPO

Great graph for volume, but it only shows half the picture. Since every hybrid buyer usually doesn't buy another hybrid, growth is what matters.

For business folk, we're talking about % change. For your math heads, the first derivative of the graph.

With this new graph in your mind, ie when does volume increase or decrease, start thinking about Crossing the Chasm by Moore.

The cracks in his curve, or chasm after the first two waves, are what matter.

I would argue that the Prius is crossing the chasm in different areas of the world at different times. That's why the graph is skewed.

The bottom line is that the largest market is still waiting to buy one. How many of you own a Prius or hybrid?