Toyota Prius Hybrid Sales Were Up in January Despite Recall

Prius and other Toyota hybrid sales are up this month, which may be a little bit surprising given all the issues surrounding Toyota right now.  In total, Prius sales were up by 13%, while Toyota hybrid sales were up 2.6%

Where the Prius goes, so goes hybrid sales in general.  So that means that hybrid car sales for January will also likely be up from last January, although I havent gotten all the numbers, yet.

Keep in mind that Prius sales, and hybrid car sales in general, were way down in January.  The next generation Prius was coming and customers were holding off on buying the old generation Prius and Toyota was no longer supplying them in great numbers.  They were just trying to clear the inventory before the new 2010 model showed up on dealer lots.

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Honda Hybrid SUV

You would think that Honda, being one of the first hybrid developers over a decade ago, would have built a hybrid SUV by now. But, so far, Honda has shied away from the SUV and crossover hybrid market.

Why?

Ford has shown that a small, fuel efficient hybrid can be popular. The hybrid system from Honda is certainly developed enough, yet there is still no Honda hybrid SUV on the horizon.

Honda hasnt been afraid to experiment with their hybrid line-up. The first hybrid was a two-seater (Insight), while the next was more practical (Honda Civic Hybrid). The third hybrid from Honda was the Accord Hybrid, built on the premise of delivering more power for less fuel, but that failed. And then Honda went on to develop the Honda Insight II, a more economical hybrid only car to compete with the Prius.

Next in line is a Honda Fit, an even smaller hybrid, but more likely cheaper option. Considering the sales data seems to show the Honda Insight II is competing with the Honda Civic Hybrid, I wonder what the Honda Fit Hybrid will compete with?

So, why not a SUV Honda Hybrid? Or perhaps a crossover hybrid? Is there a limitation on the size of the vehicle that wont allow the IMA system to be laid into the Pilot or CR-V? Would Honda have to develop a dual-mode hybrid system to place into these larger vehicles?

Only Honda can answer these questions. Its been over a decade, and Honda has shown a willingness to experiment with their hybrid products. It may be time to show how fuel efficient these SUV and Crossovers can be by giving them a hybrid option.

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