November 19th, 2005

2005 sales volume: smart vs the Hybrids

Posted by NRG SVR in Hybrids

Here’s something that will interest you.

Canadian sales numbers for the 2005 model year, for the 10 month period ending in October 2005:

smart fortwo: 3,379
Toyota Prius (hybrid): 1,685
Honda Accord (hybrid): 438
Honda Civic (hybrid): 182
Honda Insight (hybrid): 5 (five)

Here’s 3 other models you should also note:

BMW Mini Cooper: 2,974
Volkswagen new beetle: 1,279
Honda Civic (gasoline): 58,007

(In case you are wondering, there are over 5000 smarts in Canada now. )

I’ve still never driven an Insight, and it’s no wonder why. There are none around. You have to special order one. There is a 2006 edition, and I suppose Honda keeps it in production simply because it gets better mileage than the Prius, and they can’t afford to lose the top spot, regardless of whether anyone drives them or not. I’d certainly be open to seeing what kind of mileage I could get out of an Insight, but the car is illusive to say the least.

If you are reading this, own an Insight, live in the Greater Vancouver area, and would like to swap cars for a week, please e-mail me.

In the spring, I am hoping to face-off against against some other high mpg champions. An event is in the works. Please contact me if you are interested.

5 Responses to ' 2005 sales volume: smart vs the Hybrids '

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  1. dogbreathcanada said:

    Honda Accord (hybrid): 438
    Honda Civic (hybrid): 182
    Honda Insight (hybrid): 5

    That’s all very interesting, but how many of these vehicles were generally available? If more Insights were available, would more have been purchased? Probably. Are there specific mitigating factors that are affecting these numbers? Price? Availability? Lack of marketing and consumer awareness?

    I’m not complaining about your post. But the numbers are only a fraction of the entire story.

    The other point to make … how do hybrids perform in our much colder Canadian environment? Batteries are adversely affected by sub-zero temperatures.

    What are the sales figures compartively between hybrids and the Fortwo in much warmer environments? California? Arizona?

    November 25th, 2005 at 9:31 pm

  2. NRG SVR said:

    Well, as far as the Prius goes, it’s doing as well as it can for being the price it is.

    The Civic - that number shocked me a bit - I really thought it would be higher. But then consider that it’s mileage isn’t THAT much more than a straight gas Civic.

    And there’s the point - it’s virtually the same car, but significantly higher in price.

    The smart has no competitor to speak of. The waiting lists were 3 to 6 months long, and there are still people waiting for their car to arrive.

    As fas as the Insight goes - it’s not Honda’s intention to sell many. At $26,500 - it should sell more - but it doesn’t. Honda is no doubt happy to collect awards for a car you can’t even test drive - because it holds the # 1 position in the US as well, beating out the Prius.

    Having said all that - the real credit to smart’s success is definately NOT the marketing of it. It hasn’t really been marketed yet in the traditional automotive sense, at least not by MB, other than at autoshows. The credit goes to the ambassadors that own them - the early adopters that took interest, no matter what the critics said… There are some great reps selling them too - and even the occasional dealer that really tried to get the car over here, even 2 or 3 years ago. (TPM in Victoria specifically.)

    Hybrids function okay in Canada - no better or worse than the smart. The price is the main consideration I’m sure, especially for the Hondas. There aren’t any major supply issues per se - if you want an Insight, you only need to order it and wait 60 days. The Prius has had waiting lists at times, but not as long as smart at it’s peak.

    November 25th, 2005 at 9:43 pm

  3. dogbreathcanada said:

    Thanks for the response.

    Yeah, I checked out the mileage on those hybrids and I was disappointed. Especially the Civic and Accord. My first thought on those was, “Aren’t those the normal non-Hybrid numbers?”

    Even the Insight, at 66mpg (and that’s factory tested so expect lower), was disappointing. But I suppose it is economy sized, seating (I assume) 4 people. Which is a bit of a draw over the Fortwo. But for pure fuel economy the Fortwo is kicking all their asses, and it really shouldn’t be, those hybrids should be competitive versus the Fortwo.

    BTW, did you ever see that video (maybe you have it here on the site somewhere) of some crash test of a Fortwo being driven at 70mph into a cement barrier? Impressive roll cage on those little cars.

    November 26th, 2005 at 1:27 pm

  4. NRG SVR said:

    Careful with those fuel economy numbers. What you quoted is miles per US Gallon. The Insight is rated for 72 city and 86 highway. (mpg imperial)

    November 26th, 2005 at 2:49 pm

  5. Mike T said:

    Apparently something over 600 Honda Insights were sold in the entire USA this year, more than the 500 something that were sold last year. So Canada is definitely lagging behind in Insight-dom - we should be at 50 cars instead of five….

    Fortwos are having a deserved success in Canada. In fact it is a major source of pride over at smart head office, so I hear….

    December 27th, 2005 at 8:20 pm

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