[bwilson4web]

http://www.hybridcars.com/hybrid-cle...gust-2011.html

Toyota Prius 9,491 20.0% -19.6% 83,918 -8.7%
Hyundai Sonata 4,136 -1.0% n/a 12,042 n/a
Lexus CT 200h 2,087 34.4% n/a 7,408 n/a
Honda Insight 961 -2.6% -52.7% 13,106 -7.3%. . .

Ok, I was expecting Toyota hybrids to increase.

What bothers me, a lot, is the loss of Hyundai and Honda sales. Hybrid market growth can not be sustained by just one vendor . . . even if they have market leading technology. Here in lies the problem.

Typical adoption follows an "S-curve":

There is an important gap between "Trial Use" and "Adoption." But the fall off in Hyundai and Honda Insight sales in August says we are at best at "Trial Use' and possibly just "Understanding."

I have no problem, no problem at all, with hybrid technology but there is another market, those willing to go from "Trial Use" to "Adoption.' If our hybrid market can not span this gap, it has stalled and that is a bad thing, a very bad thing.

The reason why is there are people who for reasons having nothing to do with natural law are willing to stomp on hybrids. They don't care what is in their best interest. Sad to say, the implications are severe.

The price of gasoline and diesel follows a global supply-and-demand. We've recently seen a 10-20% reduction in the price of gas . . . the very thing needed to reward the hybrid skeptics. My problem is the resurection of the 'night of the living dead' hybrid skeptics. The wrong thing for what will happen in 2012.

Bob Wilson