Prius sales down in 08

Toyota Prius

Although the focus lately has been on the woes of the Detroit Big Three and probably rightly so, what a lot of people might not realize is that even the Toyota Prius faltered in last year’s sales figures. Sales of the Prius fell 12.3 percent last year, with most of the decline coming in the second half of 2008 when the economy really began to nosedive. Gas prices also fell 50% in the second half of 2008, which probably slowed down any plans buyers might have had to trade up to a more fuel-efficient vehicle.

Despite the steep drop in sales, the 2008 results still were the second-best in the nine-year history of the vehicle, which now has generated sales of more than 700,000 units.  The 2010 Prius has a fuel efficiency rating of 50 MPG on the city and the highway, up from 46 MPG last year, and Toyota has also reduced the weight of the popular hybrid. Toyota predicts sales of 180,000 units over the coming 12 months.