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LOS ANGELES — Toyota’s Prius hybrid passed Honda’s Civic and Accord
to become the bestselling vehicle line this year in California as higher
gasoline prices drove up demand for fuel-efficient cars.
Toyota, the world’s largest seller of gasoline-electric autos, sold 46,380 Prius models to Golden State drivers in the first nine months of the year, the California New Car Dealers Association said in its Auto Outlook report. That vaulted the Prius three levels above last year, when it ranked behind the Civic, Accord and Toyota’s own Camry.
Recovering car and light-truck sales in California, the nation’s largest auto market, are lifting industry-wide sales across the U.S. Registrations through September are up 26 per cent in California, exceeding the 14.5 per cent increase for U.S. light-vehicle sales, according to the report.
“Gas prices are up 80 cents per gallon in California over the national average,” said Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst for Kelley Blue Book in Irvine, Calif. “That’s really driving up the appeal of hybrids, as well as plug-in vehicles in California.”
Drivers in the state bought 1.25 million new cars and trucks this year through September, according to the report. That would be 11 per cent of the U.S. total of 10.9 million. Purchases of Prius models this year in California account for 25 per cent of the 183,340 Prius liftbacks, plug-ins, v wagons and c subcompacts sold in the United States.
Ford’s F-Series pickup trucks are the top-selling vehicle line across the U.S. this year, followed by Camry, according to researcher Autodata Corp. Nationally, Prius is only the 12th bestseller among all vehicle types this year, and seventh by sales volume among car models, according to Autodata figures.
The hybrid, first sold in Japan 1997, hasn’t previously led sales in the state, based on California Auto Outlook reports back through 2006.
Disruptions at California refineries since August pushed gasoline in the state to a record $4.67 a gallon on Oct. 9, according to AAA. While prices in the state have eased, the fuel averaged $4.55 a gallon on Oct. 17, compared with a national average of $3.74, based on data from the largest U.S. motorists’ group.
“Prius is going to stay strong through 2012, and into 2013,” Gutierrez said. “We’re going to get some relief at the pump, but not that much.”
U.S. Prius sales, already at a record this year, may total as many as 230,000, Toyota U.S. Group Vice-President Bill Fay said this month. Honda’s CR-V is California’s bestselling light truck this year, according to the report, prepared by Experian Group Ltd.’s AutoCount unit.
In Japan, Toyota has sold 260,947 units of the Prius this year, and the model is poised to be the nation’s bestselling vehicle for a fourth consecutive year, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.
Article by Alan Ohnsman Oct 19/2012
Toyota, the world’s largest seller of gasoline-electric autos, sold 46,380 Prius models to Golden State drivers in the first nine months of the year, the California New Car Dealers Association said in its Auto Outlook report. That vaulted the Prius three levels above last year, when it ranked behind the Civic, Accord and Toyota’s own Camry.
Recovering car and light-truck sales in California, the nation’s largest auto market, are lifting industry-wide sales across the U.S. Registrations through September are up 26 per cent in California, exceeding the 14.5 per cent increase for U.S. light-vehicle sales, according to the report.
“Gas prices are up 80 cents per gallon in California over the national average,” said Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst for Kelley Blue Book in Irvine, Calif. “That’s really driving up the appeal of hybrids, as well as plug-in vehicles in California.”
Drivers in the state bought 1.25 million new cars and trucks this year through September, according to the report. That would be 11 per cent of the U.S. total of 10.9 million. Purchases of Prius models this year in California account for 25 per cent of the 183,340 Prius liftbacks, plug-ins, v wagons and c subcompacts sold in the United States.
Ford’s F-Series pickup trucks are the top-selling vehicle line across the U.S. this year, followed by Camry, according to researcher Autodata Corp. Nationally, Prius is only the 12th bestseller among all vehicle types this year, and seventh by sales volume among car models, according to Autodata figures.
The hybrid, first sold in Japan 1997, hasn’t previously led sales in the state, based on California Auto Outlook reports back through 2006.
Disruptions at California refineries since August pushed gasoline in the state to a record $4.67 a gallon on Oct. 9, according to AAA. While prices in the state have eased, the fuel averaged $4.55 a gallon on Oct. 17, compared with a national average of $3.74, based on data from the largest U.S. motorists’ group.
“Prius is going to stay strong through 2012, and into 2013,” Gutierrez said. “We’re going to get some relief at the pump, but not that much.”
U.S. Prius sales, already at a record this year, may total as many as 230,000, Toyota U.S. Group Vice-President Bill Fay said this month. Honda’s CR-V is California’s bestselling light truck this year, according to the report, prepared by Experian Group Ltd.’s AutoCount unit.
In Japan, Toyota has sold 260,947 units of the Prius this year, and the model is poised to be the nation’s bestselling vehicle for a fourth consecutive year, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.
Article by Alan Ohnsman Oct 19/2012
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