Hybrid vehicles have become increasingly popular over the last few years – thanks to widely fluctuating fuel prices and the general green movement – but collapsing sales and low gas prices in the latter half of the year managed to stall hybrid sales in 2008.
Hybrid sales rallied during the first part of 2008 when gas prices topped $4 a gallon around the country, but saw a dramatic drop off as the economy worsened and fuel prices returned to five-year lows. Overall, hybrid sales were down 9.9 percent in 2008.
Despite the down year, Toyota’s grip on the hybrid market remained lock-tight. The Japanese automaker sold 241,405 hybrids last year in the U.S., handily beating second place Honda by nearly 210,000 units. In fact, almost three out of every four hybrid vehicles sold in the U.S. last year was a Toyota, according to Automotive News.
Illustrating how much the market fell off during the latter half of 2008; Toyota sold 91,440 Prius hybrids during the first six month of the year, but managed to move only 67,444 units during the second half of the year.
Ford took the number three spot on the list with 19,522 hybrid sales – down 22 percent from 2007 and trailing Honda’s 31,495 hybrid sales – with General Motors slightly behind with 14,439 hybrid sales in 2008. Of note, GM saw the highest jump of any automaker in hybrid sales – 179 percent – thanks to new hybrid versions of its GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Malibu and Tahoe.
Nissan checked in with 8,819 hybrid sales, a modest bump over last year’s figures.
Not surprisingly, Chrysler found itself last on the list with only 81 buyers scooping up the company’s Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango hybrid vehicles – the only two the automaker offers.
