Toyota predicts 40,000 Japan pre-orders for 2010 Prius, outpacing Honda Insight demand
04/16/2009, 3:47 PM
By Drew Johnson
Honda racked up an impressive 21,000 Insight pre-orders in Japan before the budget hybrid hit the market earlier this year, but Toyota is expecting to nearly double that figure with its third-generation Prius. The 2010 Prius will hit the Japanese market within the next few weeks.
According to Reuters, Toyota expects Prius pre-orders to top 40,000 in Japan. The Japanese automaker has already taken more than 20,000 orders for the ’10 model. Toyota sold 73,000 examples of the current car in Japan last year.
Pricing has yet to be officially announced for the 2010 Prius, but the world’s most popular hybrid is expected to list from $20,750 in Japan. Toyota will also sell the current-generation Prius alongside the new model to better compete with the Honda Insight.
Toyota plans to sell 400,000 units of the Prius globally this year, with the U.S. accounting for the bulk of that figure.
04/16, 4:01 PM
posted by:
JakeK66
The biggest joke in the industry today is anyone who says Toyota and Honda lose money for every hybrid they sell…. Yeah right. And I’m on Miami Vice.
04/16, 4:14 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Great. Now someone find out who sold the most toasters last year, Black & Decker or General Electric? My fascination with appliances knows no bounds.
04/16, 5:22 PM
posted by:
atoms
I don’t doubt that they’ll sell a s*** load of prius’ (over 20,000 already) but this claim is like saying “its gonna be dark out tonight” well of course it is!
04/16, 5:24 PM
posted by:
shane train
Man, since the intro of the Insight I gotta say I’d prefer it over a Prius. The price is a strong point for it, and the look is a bit nicer, the front of this is an IMPROVEMENT, but I’m still not crazy about it.
The Insight, while still being boring, just seems less so.
04/16, 6:37 PM
posted by:
DrFill
Jake
That used to be the case, about 10 years ago
The costs of producing the powertrain have been reduced 75% from the 1st Prius
DrFill
04/16, 7:22 PM
posted by:
JakeK66
That’s my point DrFill. People really do think, stupidly, that these are built to lose money, and that’s completely wrong.
04/16, 8:17 PM
posted by:
Blakkarr
The enemy of any car in any country: a wide spread, popular, well run, effective and efficient public mass transit system.
It also wouldn’t hurt if the G2 Insight did not look so much like a badge re-engineered G2 Prius. Maybe HONDA will make an Insight Si (Snark)… Actually, that would not be a bad idea.
04/17, 12:05 AM
posted by:
jdasch1
As soon as they can be plugged into a 120 Volt outlet, they will have 100k orders immediatly.
04/17, 8:04 AM
posted by:
skeee1
I wonder what the car manufacturers are going to do with all of the used batteries out of these vehicles???? More danger to the environment.
04/17, 9:37 AM
posted by:
shane train
skeee1- I’ve been asking that from the beginning, to be honest. I’m sure there’s some method of disposal or recycling, I mean, if people catch on to it, and they’re just dumping them, they won’t be able to continue doing so for long. There are tons of poisonous materials that can be recycled.
Maybe they’ll shoot them into space. No one will care there.
04/17, 3:27 PM
posted by:
shaver
1st Honda quits F1 and has to watch Brawn GP take Hondas hardwork to the front of the F1 grid. Now this.