Hybrid Car Sales
While domestic automobile market growth is slowing down due to the economic recession and the complete vehicle labor union strike, hybrid models from Hyundai and Kia automobile companies and Toyota have received opposing reactions.
According to the industry on October 2, Hyundai sold 46,257 domestic vehicles last September, 19.6% lower than sales from the same month last year. As for hybrid models, its Sonata and Avante model sales have both dropped 47.1%.
Toyota’s seven hybrid models, including the Lexus brand, have grown in domestic sales per year.
1,700 of the latest ES300h hybrid Lexus model have been sold from the beginning of the year to August. As for the hybrid version of the higher quality model LS 600hL, 84 were sold in 2010 and 65 in 2011. Sales seemed to slow down until last year, when 114 were sold. So far in August, 70 has been sold. The hybrid version of the SUV RX 450h has continuously increased in sales from 127 in 2010 to 153, then 312. August sales have hit 117. The Prius and Camry models have shown growth last year as well, but are currently not being sold due to a shortage.
On the other hand, Hyundai hybrid models are not doing so well in the domestic market this year. Up until September this year, the Sonata hybrid models have sold 0.8% more than last year, and the Avante models have dropped 53.7% in sales. Sales are growing in the American market, but have fallen behind in the competition against imported models in the domestic market. 6,127 of Kia’s K5 hybrid models were sold in between January and September, which are 1,000 vehicles less than last year’s 7,150.
To be specific, the Avante hybrid model sales have dropped from 1,038 last year to 487 this year. In fact, some say that the latest Avante Diesel model made the market position awkward for the hybrid model. About 2,000 Forte hybrid vehicles were sold annually until 2010, but the number dropped below 1,000 last year. It is no longer sold since last month.