It’s no secret: electric vehicle (including hybrid electric vehicle) sales are expected to rise a ton in the coming years. So, we can expect to see many record-breaking months, but I certainly haven’t gotten tired of them yet, and the increases noted by Ford below are pretty impressive.
In total, Ford expects that it sold over 6,000 hybrid electric vehicles in November, its best total ever. With that, it also expects to have achieved a record 11% of the EV market — that’s about 5 times the market share it achieved last November. This increase was driven by the fact that November was the first full sales month of the all-new C-MAX Hybrid, all-new C-MAX Energi Plug-In Hybrid, and all-new Fusion Hybrid.
Ford’s previous best EV sales month was in July 2009, when it landed 5,353 sales.
Ford Now Beating Toyota
Ford is happy to note that its electric vehicles “are helping Ford beat Toyota in fuel economy in every segment where both compete. Customers are increasingly taking notice and adding Ford to their lists, with more than 97 percent of shoppers prioritizing fuel economy.”
The Ford Fusion was actually named Green Car Journal’s 2013 Green Car of the Year® at the 2012 LA Auto Show this week.
The C-MAX hybrid is also helping Ford’s reputation and sales. It actually outsold its main competitor (and one of the most popular cars in the world), the Toyota Prius, in its first full month of sales in October (3,182 units to 2,769 units). I’m eager to see how they compared in November.
Hybrid EVs in High Demand
And here’s some really exciting news: “Dealers are reporting they can’t keep the all-new Fusion Hybrid and C-MAX hybrids in stock, and they are currently the fastest-turning nameplates in Ford showrooms. Fusion is turning in an average of 12 days and Fusion Hybrid in seven days. So far, 27 percent of all retail orders for the new Fusion are for the hybrid model.”
1/3 of Ford’s “transformed” 2012 lineup now contain a model with 40 mpg or better.
Here are some more records Ford is eager to tout:
The all-new Fusion Hybrid is America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan, offering a leading 47 mpg city, highway and combined, and besting Toyota Camry Hybrid by 5 mpg on the highway.
The Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid will go into production by the end of 2012, aiming to be the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world.
Focus Electric – America’s most fuel-efficient compact with 110 MPGe city – is the fifth all-new electrified Ford vehicle in 2012. Focus Electric is able to charge in four hours with the available 240-volt charging station, which is nearly half the time as Nissan Leaf.
Furthermore, the Ford C-MAX Energi, at a combined 100 MPGe, was the most fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in the world until this week (when the Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid got an EPA rating of 115 MPGe).
Kudos to Ford!