Toyota to increase Prius production 60% next year

[HoosierRon]

Report: Toyota To Boost Japan Output Of Prius Hybrid 60% By Next Year

The Nikkei reports that Toyota Motor Corp. plans to boost domestic output of the Prius by 60% to 450,000 a year by 2009.

Toyota manufactured about 280,000 Priuses worldwide in 2007, up 33% on the year.

That means that Prius production will have gone from 210,000 in 2006 to 450,000 in 2009.

To put it in perspective, Toyota will sell more Priuses than GM will sell Pontiacs. Or U.S. Buicks and Cadillacs combined. The Prius will easily blow by any individual car model sold by GM.

[give_it_all_]

Wasn't there an article a few months back talking about how the sales were dropping? But on the bright side, now GM knows that people will buy hybrid type vehicles (so maybe they push the Volt out a bit faster now )

[maxaccel]

Originally Posted by HoosierRon

Report: Toyota To Boost Japan Output Of Prius Hybrid 60% By Next Year


That means that Prius production will have gone from 210,000 in 2006 to 450,000 in 2009.

To put it in perspective, Toyota will sell more Priuses than GM will sell Pontiacs. Or U.S. Buicks and Cadillacs combined. The Prius will easily blow by any individual car model sold by GM.

thats good,the more fuel efficient cars on the road means more fuel saved and in turn just maybe the cost of gas will come down,so us Hi Perf nuts can afford to keep driving the V8 powered gas hogs!

[drew630]

Must be increasing fleet sales.

[FenwickHockey65]

Hmm...the way this is going, I think the prius is about to become the next fleet queen.

[SuperSS27]

Like we need more ugly @ss cars on the road....

[mcool]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Hmm...the way this is going, I think the prius is about to become the next fleet queen.

Yup, if Toyota's not careful, it will be. Though, this is probably a move to continue to drive their hybrid sales and decrease the cost of the tech, all while hopefully pulling forward sales before the Volt and other real competition arrives.

That said, the fleet stigma is hard to break. Just ask any of the domestics...

[Old Dood]

So no one 'thinks' it is because of the instability of the economy or fuel prices?

I deal with quite a few people in the course of the work day.
When we talk about fuel prices and such I am hearing more and more about how people are considering purchasing fuel efficent vehicles.

Many people I know commute to work and not only commute, they get stuck in traffic.
To have some vehicle that gets better and better fuel mileage is worth it.

I would think that Toyota would know if they need to increase their production of one of their vehicles.
Maybe they are anticipating a large spike in fuel prices and want to be ready for it.

Maybe GM should be increasing the Aveo's production as well.

[vsd]

I wish they would redesign it, I'm tired of looking at them.

[bobby26]

Originally Posted by vsd

I wish they would redesign it, I'm tired of looking at them.

No kidding, I see nearly a dozen a day way out here in big truck driving, hickville, redneck, bum fck Iowa.

[PhishPhood]

The next three months with gas hitting $3.50 to $4.00 all over the country are going to be a freakin gold mine for this vehicle and T in general because of it.

Actually that goes for all the highly efficient vehicles.

The next 3-5 months are the peak selling season for all vehicles. The fact that fuel prices will be the most expensive in everyone's lifetime ( in the US )puts one vehicle squarely in the sights of Mr/Mrs Main Street shopper.

Another view on this jump in availability next year....

What do you thing the planners have told the top production people and top management. How about something along the lines of ' You think fuel prices in 2008 are going to be high, wait til you see what happens in 2009. Want to see a 6 y.o. vehicle be sold out at 5 times the volume as Year No 1?'

...just a thought.

[big swede]

Originally Posted by maxaccel

thats good,the more fuel efficient cars on the road means more fuel saved and in turn just maybe the cost of gas will come down,so us Hi Perf nuts can afford to keep driving the V8 powered gas hogs!

I wish. The oil companies are laughing all the way to the bank and love when people cut back on gas. Gas prices stay the same instead of going down like they should which means the oil companies have a longer supply of fuel that they can hammer us with.

[hrcslam]

Originally Posted by HoosierRon

Report: Toyota To Boost Japan Output Of Prius Hybrid 60% By Next Year


That means that Prius production will have gone from 210,000 in 2006 to 450,000 in 2009.

To put it in perspective, Toyota will sell more Priuses than GM will sell Pontiacs. Or U.S. Buicks and Cadillacs combined. The Prius will easily blow by any individual car model sold by GM.

Just cars, right? That would leave all of the GMT-900s out of the equation then right. At first I was thinking Silverado, but never mind.

[WishIhadatruck]

Originally Posted by Old Dood

So no one 'thinks' it is because of the instability of the economy or fuel prices?

I deal with quite a few people in the course of the work day.
When we talk about fuel prices and such I am hearing more and more about how people are considering purchasing fuel efficent vehicles.

Many people I know commute to work and not only commute, they get stuck in traffic.
To have some vehicle that gets better and better fuel mileage is worth it.

I would think that Toyota would know if they need to increase their production of one of their vehicles.
Maybe they are anticipating a large spike in fuel prices and want to be ready for it.

Maybe GM should be increasing the Aveo's production as well.

That's kind of what I was thinking. I think they are going to be able to sell at a much higher rate because it really has no competition in the US. The Civic Hybrid comes close but still doesn't compare, especially in image but even in fuel economy it can't match it.

GM has absolutely nothing and if the Volt doesn't come in at less than $30k then it won't compete that well either. Most anyone can afford a Prius that is in the new car market since it starts in the low $20's. GM needs something comparable quickly. I thought the Volt would be it but unless they get the price down quickly it will only be competing for the big spenders and won't ever hit Prius volumes. The Volt can be a good image vehicle and maybe it will work if the rest of their car line becomes best in class for MPG.

[gardnet1]

Maybe they'll be sent to Europe and ridiculed, or China. That's such a miserable car to ride in, it makes Greyhound look good.