Americans Purchase Four-Millionth Hybrid Car

The first hybrid to hit American roads was the Honda Insight back in 1999. The car sold a meager 17 units in that inaugural year. Now, almost 20 years later, Americans purchased their four millionth hybrid vehicle. It is impossible to say which model hybrid was the one to reach this benchmark, but given cheap gas prices and a sharp uptick in sales of pickups and SUVs, this milestone proves that the hybrid can keep up in the current marketplace.

 It took almost 13 years to reach the three-million mark in October of 2013, and the total number of hybrids sold at the end of this past April was 4, 027,258. But despite the fact that hybrids have been growing quicker and quicker here in the U.S., Japan still leads the pack. The country recently reached the five-million mark when it comes to hybrids sold, which accounts for 45 percent (11 million) of the hybrids sold worldwide. The U.S. is second with 36 percent, and Europe is third with 1.5 million hybrids sold.

Japan, specifically with their Toyota brand, have a strong hold on the hybrid market both at home and in the U.S., where they own 70 percent of the market. According to HybridCars.com, the Prius has sold more than 1.6 million units since it came to America in 2000. This accounts for a little over 40 percent of all hybrid sales in the U.S. The rest of the top five include the Toyota Camry Hybrid (345,640 units), the recently discontinued Honda Civic Hybrid (234,610 units), the Fusion Hybrid (166,34 units), and the Prius c (165,075 units).

While they might have been thought of as silly or unnecessary when they debuted over 15 years ago, hybrid vehicles are considered "mainstream" today. There are many four-door sedan options available and, despite the recent push towards plug-in hybrids and fully-electric cars, many traditional hybrids get around 50 mpg and are already able to meet federal fuel mileage regulations for 2025. 

NAFA Fleet Management Association
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