Those were the times when self-acclaimed auto analysts and famed industry experts considered the hybrid a freak of nature. Economics, and Saddam Hussein, have more than forced them to rethink their positions. The sky rocketing oil prices have been playing havoc with consumer pockets and it appears that the inimitable experts have now very conveniently shed their so called ‘hybrid aversions’. Since hybrid cars (capable of running on both gas and electric motors simultaneously) have started getting mass produced, 
there are tremendous economies of scale benefits which manufacturers are beginning to pass onto the consumer.
As a result, hybrid cars – whose sales were earlier bogged down by high prices – have now become appealing. Combined with comparatively lower purchase prices than earlier, hybrid cars have one huge advantage – extremely low operating costs. Consumers are finding hybrids irresistible in developed markets, resulting in them becoming a rage in American states such as California and Florida. Sitting on the back of this ongoing chutzpah, Toyota recently announced that it has crossed the 1 million barrier in hybrid car sales. The company said that it had sold approximately 1,047,000 hybrids worldwide until May 31, 2007. A third of the sales came from the company’s home market of Japan while a majority was contributed by the yankees. It is believed that the high sales were triggered by major tax benefits and civic amenities for hybrid car owners provided by various markets, which take pollution as a major issue of concern. Moreover, the prospective consumers are also reported to be enticed by major advancements in the hybrid car tech- nology, – Toyota Prius, for instance, has been evolving consistently over the years and since its launch in 2001, it has undergone three major mechanical and design changes. Including 24,000 units of Prius, Toyota reportedly sold 36,100 hybrids in May 2007 alone.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click here
Source: IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Management Guru Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Initiative
there are tremendous economies of scale benefits which manufacturers are beginning to pass onto the consumer.As a result, hybrid cars – whose sales were earlier bogged down by high prices – have now become appealing. Combined with comparatively lower purchase prices than earlier, hybrid cars have one huge advantage – extremely low operating costs. Consumers are finding hybrids irresistible in developed markets, resulting in them becoming a rage in American states such as California and Florida. Sitting on the back of this ongoing chutzpah, Toyota recently announced that it has crossed the 1 million barrier in hybrid car sales. The company said that it had sold approximately 1,047,000 hybrids worldwide until May 31, 2007. A third of the sales came from the company’s home market of Japan while a majority was contributed by the yankees. It is believed that the high sales were triggered by major tax benefits and civic amenities for hybrid car owners provided by various markets, which take pollution as a major issue of concern. Moreover, the prospective consumers are also reported to be enticed by major advancements in the hybrid car tech- nology, – Toyota Prius, for instance, has been evolving consistently over the years and since its launch in 2001, it has undergone three major mechanical and design changes. Including 24,000 units of Prius, Toyota reportedly sold 36,100 hybrids in May 2007 alone.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click here
Source: IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Management Guru Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Initiative
