According to the report, an estimated 187,000 hybrid vehicles were sold in the U.S. market through the first half of 2007, accounting for 2.3 percent of the total U.S. new light-vehicle market through June. While sales of hybrid vehicles are projected to decline slightly in the second half of the year, the market is still on track to sell 345,000 hybrids in 2007 -- a 35 percent increase from the 256,000 hybrids sold in 2006. "High gas prices during the first half of 2007, coupled with automakers lowering the price premium for most hybrid models, have given the hybrid market a boost," said Mike Omotoso, senior manager of global powertrain forecasting for J.D. Power and Associates. The Toyota Prius continues to be the most popular hybrid model, selling 94,503 units through June 2007 and representing 50.6 percent of all new hybrid vehicles sold in the U.S. market in 2007. Toyota Prius sales were bolstered earlier this year when Toyota began offering incentives up to $2,000 to entice customers. "Toyota realized that they had to offer incentives for the Toyota Prius to offset the decrease in the federal tax break, which decreased from more than $3,000 in 2006 to less than $1,000 in 2007," said Omotoso. "The incentives helped Toyota maintain a strong sales pace for the Prius." Despite the entry of nine new hybrid vehicle models in the market in 2007 -- seven of which are expected to go on sale between July and December -- the Toyota Prius is projected to continue as the sales leader among hybrid vehicles during the next few years. Competition in the hybrid segment is projected to intensify further in the coming years. According to the report, there will be as many as 65 hybrid models-28 cars and 37 light trucks-in the market by 2010, with sales expected to reach nearly 775,000 units, or 4.6 percent of the total U.S. new light-vehicle market. "While consideration for hybrids is falling, interest in hybrids is still strong among consumers, and projections indicate steady growth for this segment in the coming years," said Omotoso. "Bringing additional hybrid models to the market will serve to fuel that interest." About J.D. Power and Associates Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies. About The McGraw-Hill Companies: Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were $6.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/ No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. http://www.jdpower.com/corporate Source: J.D. Power and Associates |