The hybrid market will continue to grow in 2009, but the majority of sales will no longer come from the Toyota Prius. Despite tough economic times and a shrinking US vehicle market, demand for hybrids continues to outpace the overall market. We expect the hybrid market to defy the gravity of a recession in 2009.Hybrid sales—as a percentage of all new car sales—are likely to expand from just under 3 percent in 2008, to beyond 3.5 percent in 2009. That will mean almost 500,000 new hybrids hitting American roads in 2009. The Toyota Prius—the third-generation version to debut in January—will continue to sell about half of all hybrids, but will be joined by another big-seller: the 2010 Honda Insight. Honda has a US sales target of 100,000 units per year. The remaining sales will come from a field of hybrids that will grow from 15 models in late 2008 to beyond 20—including the first hybrid from Mercedes, a dedicated hybrid-only model from Lexus, and the two-mode full hybrid version of the Saturn Vue small SUV.
