Hybrid car sales may have slumped as the recession continues to take its toll on the car industry, but Ford has made itself the exception that proves the rule.
During the first nine months of 2009, Ford’s US hybrid sales are 73 per cent higher than during the same period in 2008 largely thanks to the introduction of hybrid versions of the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, which went on sale for the first time in March, 2009. The remarkable rise comes in sharp contrast to the overall picture across the automotive industry, with hybrid sales in the US having fallen by 14 per cent during the same period.
The trend continued during September when Ford sold 26,016 hybrid vehicles – a 73 per cent increase on the 15,015 units it sold during the same period last year. According to David Finnegan, Ford’s marketing manager, hybrid customers are increasingly looking to Ford as a strong option with more than 60 per cent of Fusion Hybrid sales coming from non-Ford owners and more than half coming from import brands, particularly Toyota and Honda.
Despite this, Toyota and Honda still retain the edge in terms of hybrid sales throughout the US. Toyota sold 144,351 units during the first nine months of 2009, although this is a 28 per cent drop on the same period last year. Honda, sold 29,958 units, which is an eight per cent increase compared to 2008, largely due to the introduction of the Honda Insight Hybrid.
Though the Ford Fusion Hybrid has spurred sales from non-Ford owners, it is the Escape Hybrid that is continuing to prove popular with Ford customers operating taxi, lifeguard and government fleets thanks to its combination of fuel efficiency and durability.
During 2009, federal agencies have bought more than 3,000 hybrids from Ford – that’s more than any other brand and includes 1,900 vehicles bought through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
