Filed under: Hybrid, GM, HUMMER, Green Daily
GM sold 2,555 hybrids in December, HUMMER sales cut in half
All things considered, it appears that we think of GM's 2,555 hybrid sales in December a success. GM's press release (posted after the jump) certainly makes it all smell like roses. The 2.5k deliveries are up from the 1,957 hybrids the General sold in September. At that time, GM was averaging about 1,000 hybrids a month for 2008, and the trend has been upward since then, and for all of 2008, GM sold 14,439 hybrid vehicles. Here's how December's hybrid sales broke down:
- 981 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 442 GMC Yukon
- 306 Cadillac Escalade
- 454 Chevrolet Malibu
- 34 Saturn Aura
- 338 Vue
For those of you keeping score against the HUMMER brand, sales in 2008 were down 50.9 percent compared to 2007. The General sold 55,986 H1, H2, and H3 models in 2007 and 27,485 in 2008 (including just 692 units of the new H3T model).
Gallery: 2008 GMC Yukon hybrid
[Source: GM]
PRESS RELEASE:
GM Reports 221,983 Deliveries in December; 2,980,688 Vehicles Sold in 2008
* December deliveries up 30 percent compared with October and up 43 percent compared with November
* Market share in December expected around 24 percent, up about 4 ppts compared with November, reflecting renewed APR rate support through GMAC
* Second half 2008 share up nearly 2 ppts compared with first half
* 2008 market share position anticipated to hold steady at just above 22 percent
DETROIT - General Motors dealers in the United States delivered 221,983 vehicles in December, down 31 percent compared with a year ago. However, total deliveries were 67,000 vehicles more than November's result, up more than 43 percent month over month. GM December car sales of 87,506 were off 25 percent and truck sales of 134,477 were down 35 percent compared with a year ago.
For the year, GM delivered 2,980,688 vehicles while maintaining an expected market share just above 22 percent. Annual deliveries were down 23 percent compared with 2007, largely due to building weakness in the marketplace throughout the year spurred by economic headwinds such as the dramatic reduction in credit availability experienced in the fourth quarter, coupled with historically low levels of consumer confidence. Additionally, the American Axle strike and several supply disruptions impacted GM's performance in the first half of the year.
"Given the ongoing challenges and the difficult market environment, we were very encouraged to see a volume rebound for GM in December compared with both October and November," said Mark LaNeve, vice president, GM North America Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing. "We are building more vehicles than ever that provide great value and Americans enjoy owning. That is why, for the year, we are seeing our market share holding steady at just above 22 percent. That's 5 percentage points more and 760,000 vehicles more than our nearest competitor.
"Our outstanding cars, trucks and crossovers are enabling us to hold the leadership position in a very difficult market. Our Red Tag Event was well-received, and the ability to offer some 0% financing through our partner GMAC in the last week of the month also helped," LaNeve added.
Despite the weak market in December, Chevrolet Malibu continued its solid performance with total sales up 43 percent compared with last December. For 2008, Malibu sales of more than 178,000 vehicles were up 39 percent, making it the highest percentage gainer in the top 20 vehicles sold in America with a volume increase compared with 2007. With its six-speed transmission and four-cylinder engine combination, the Malibu delivers an EPA-estimated 33 mpg highway - tops in the industry's mid-car segment. The Malibu Hybrid also offers the lowest-priced hybrid in the segment. Additionally, with 4,500 retail vehicles delivered, the Chevrolet Traverse crossover nearly doubled its retail volume compared with November.
"We're really pleased about the strength of our Chevrolet brand, with the Malibu continuing to perform very well, and the Traverse crossover off to a strong start," LaNeve added. "Also, with a harsh winter and lower gas prices, our trucks and SUVs are continuing to perform well in their segments. With GMAC now able to provide more financing capacity, and with all the exciting new car and crossover launches including the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon and SRX, Chevy Camaro and Equinox, and Buick LaCrosse in 2009, we are optimistic that with an overall market recovery we can begin to capitalize on the well-recognized product renaissance of all our brands."
A total of 2,555 GM hybrid vehicles were delivered in the month. Hybrid sales included: 981 Chevrolet Tahoe, 442 GMC Yukon and 306 Cadillac Escalade 2-mode hybrid SUVs delivered. There were 454 Chevrolet Malibu, 34 Saturn Aura and 338 Vue hybrids sold in December. In 2008, GM sold a total of 14,439 hybrid vehicles.
GM inventories dropped compared with a year ago. In December, only about 872,000 vehicles were in stock, down about 36,000 vehicles (or 4 percent) compared with last year. There were about 397,000 cars and 475,000 trucks (including crossovers) in inventory at the end of December.
Certified Used Vehicles
December 2008 sales for all certified GM brands, including GM Certified Used Vehicles, Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, were 43,070 vehicles, up 21 percent from December 2007.
GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling certified brand, posted December sales of 37,632 vehicles, up 24 percent from December 2007. Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 888 vehicles, down 24 percent. Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 3,740 vehicles, up 11 percent. Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 548 vehicles, up 14 percent, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 262 vehicles, up 85 percent.
Total 2008 sales for all certified GM brands were 485,279 vehicles, down 5 percent from 2007. Annual sales for GM Certified Used Vehicles were 422,114 vehicles, down 6 percent. Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 11,573 vehicles in 2008, down 9 percent. Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles finished 2008 with sales of 41,598 vehicles, up 7 percent from 2007, while Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles posted sales of 7,705 vehicles, up 6 percent, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 2,289 vehicles, up 71 percent.
"December sales for certified GM programs were strong, with GM Certified Used Vehicles up 24 percent over last December, as shoppers continue to seek value and peace of mind in a challenging economy," said LaNeve. "GM Certified finished 2008 as the sales leader among all manufacturer-certified pre-owned brands for the seventh consecutive year, and our Cadillac, Saab and HUMMER luxury certified brands each posted strong year-to-year sales increases."
GM North America Reports December, 2008 Production; Q1 2009 Production Forecast at 420,000 Vehicles
In December, GM North America produced 249,000 vehicles (105,000 cars and 144,000 trucks). This is down 3,000 vehicles or 1 percent compared with December 2007 when the region produced 252,000 vehicles (71,000 cars and 181,000 trucks). (Production totals include joint venture production of 10,000 vehicles in December 2008 and 15,000 vehicles in December 2007.)
GM North America built 823,000 vehicles (371,000 cars and 452,000 trucks) in the fourth-quarter of 2008. This is down 219,000 vehicles or 21 percent compared to fourth-quarter of 2007 when the region produced 1.042 million vehicles (358,000 cars and 684,000 trucks). Additionally, the region's 2009 first-quarter production forecast is now 420,000 vehicles (143,000 cars and 277,000 trucks), which is down about 53 percent compared with a year ago, and about 180,000 fewer than the previous forecast. GM North America built 885,000 vehicles (360,000 cars and 525,000 trucks) in the first-quarter of 2008. First quarter 2008 production was reduced nearly 100,000 vehicles due to the strike at American Axle.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 252,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 34 countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
Note: GM sales and production results are available on GM Media OnLine at http://media.gm.com/us/gm/en/ by clicking on News, then Sales/Production. In this press release and related comments by General Motors management, we use words like "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "objective," "plan," "goal" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, representing our current judgment about possible future events. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but actual results may differ materially due to a variety of important factors. Among other items, such factors might include: market acceptance of our products; shortages of and price increases for fuel; significant changes in the competitive environment and the effect of competition on our markets, including on our pricing policies; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and financing sources and an appropriate level of debt; and changes in general economic conditions. GM's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q provide information about these factors, which may be revised or supplemented in future reports to the SEC on Form 10-Q or 8-K.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
jpm 4:42PM (1/05/2009)
I like how most of their hybrid sales were SUVs. What a joke. That's an oxymoron. Why put a hybrid drive train in an oversize vehicle?
People who bought those vehicles need a reality check via a swift punch in the gut. Well, except those that are in appropriate climates where an SUV is absolutely needed.
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Carney 5:20PM (1/05/2009)
Actually, hybrid capacity is so heavy (hundreds of pounds), expensive (thousands of dollars), and bulky that it makes more sense to put it on a huge, cost-no-object vehicle where the burden is relatively small, than in a normal size sedan.
Priuses and the like are visually conspicuous because the bulk of the battery and redundant second electric motor force reduced passenger and cargo space, requiring significant design compromises.
Meanwhile flex fuel capacity costs only $100, adds infinitesimal weight (an additional sensor to detect the fuel mix), and actually has the potential to get us OFF oil and transform the world situation rather than eking out a few more MPGs as world oil demand continues to skyrocket.
Since FFVs are distinguished only by a small badge on the rear and not by some bizarre look, however, they don't have the conspicuousness to make them as desirable among the smug set and as high profile in the media, which continues to carefully ignore the reality that FFVs quietly outsell hybrids SEVERAL FOLD.
paulwesterberg 5:35PM (1/05/2009)
I have a prius, and it is quite roomy inside despite its somewhat smaller size. The fold down seats and hatch allow room for tons of gear.
The battery pack is only used to smooth out the ICE output so it is relatively dinky - only 1.3kwh.
Cellien 5:42PM (1/05/2009)
"I have a prius"
Shocking.
Dave 7:03PM (1/05/2009)
Would you rather they have sold the regular version of those SUVs instead?
Like it or not, some people really use SUVs for what they are designed for. And at least they have the option of buying a vehicle which reduces fuel consumption 20%+ over the normal counterpart.
While Carney keeps on pushing E85 as the "ultimate" solution, I'll note that the GHG emissions of the Tahoe running on E85 are the same as the GHG emissions of the hybrid. I will also suggest that we combine both E85 and Hybrid technology to get the best of both worlds. Especially considering producing E85 in sufficient quantities to supply the entire motor fleet is not feasible without some major advances in technology, both in production, but also in reducing demand for motor fuel.
Chris M 8:18PM (1/05/2009)
Those big SUVs used to be highly profitable, until fuel prices went way up and sales slumped, so GM put their hybrids in big SUVs in a desperate attempt to boost SUV sales. Sales figures show that strategy isn't working very well. On the other hand, the Toyota and Honda strategies of putting hybrids in smaller vehicles that get outstanding fuel mileage has paid off.
The sales slump for Hummer is not the least bit suprising. The Prius has consistently outsold the Hummer, even back when gas was cheaper. When gas prices spiked and the economy tanked, the expensive gas guzzling Hummer couldn't compete.
Carney, your ignorance of the Prius is showing. The Prius NiMH battery is only a hundred pounds and doesn't take up that much space, and the two motor/generators and transaxle together take up slightly less space than a standard transmission. Toyota engineers did a great job of fitting it all into a very small space. Sorry, that "second electric motor" isn't redundant at all, it is the key to the Hybrid Synergy CVT design.
Flex fuel capability isn't much use if there is no E85 to take advantage of it. In the entire state of California, with hundreds of millions of cars, there are exactly 2 E85 stations. Flex Fuel had been pushed by corn growers for their profits, and by the Detroit 3 as a way around the CAFE limits, enabling them to sell more high profit gas guzzlers.
Derek 10:23PM (1/05/2009)
Chris, if you honestly believe that GM can just add a hybrid system to their SUV's in a matter of a few months, you really need to take a reality check. The hybrid SUV's are the result of several years worth of development in concert with Diamler-Chrysler. You can't just make an entirely new transmission overnight and put it into a vehicle.
One should note that two out of five of ToyMoCo's hybrid models are trucks as well. (Highlander and Lexus RX-whatever)
jpm 10:59PM (1/05/2009)
Dave,
I copy and paste what I wrote the first time:
Well, except those that are in appropriate climates where an SUV is absolutely needed.
And to everyone else: E85 from corn ethanol is a joke. It's hard just to break even on energy in vs. energy out. So everyone stfu about E85 until cellulostic ethanol is avaible (if it ever happens). Corn E85 will be officially dead once Stephen Chu, Obama's energy secretary takes office.
Chris M 11:03PM (1/06/2009)
Derek, where did you get that "matter of a few months" nonsense from? I never said that. In case you've forgotten, there was a price spike in 2005 which triggered a slump in SUV sales. No coincidence that GM decided to apply their "dual mode hybrid" technology to SUVs at that time. The GM "dual mode hybrid" system had gone into production for transit bussesat that time, so their hybrid SUV development was mainly a matter of resizing it to fit, and testing.
Yes, Toyota does have 2 hybrid SUVs. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid gets better fuel mileage and costs less than the GM Tahoe hybrid, and the Lexus RX-450h gets better fuel mileage and costs less than the Cadillac Escalade hybrid. No suprise, then, that the Toyota hybrid SUVS are outselling the GM hybrid SUVs by a substantial margin.
Carney 9:27AM (1/09/2009)
Dave said...
"While Carney keeps on pushing E85 as the "ultimate" solution, I'll note that the GHG emissions of the Tahoe running on E85 are the same as the GHG emissions of the hybrid."
Technically true perhaps, but still misleading in terms of the overall picture.
The reason is that the CO2 emissions from gasoline come from petroleum that would otherwise have remained more or less permanently sequestered deep underground, and thus extracting, burning and emitting them adds more total CO2 to the atmosphere.
By big contrast, the CO2 from ethanol comes from plants that are part of the cabon cycle now anyway. There's no net gain of CO2 involved.
Thus, if every vehicle on Earth suddenly could use E85 and used it exclusively, CO2 increases plunge 85% relative to the status quo ante.
"I will also suggest that we combine both E85 and Hybrid technology to get the best of both worlds."
The problem with that is that, as a green shold know better than anyone, we live in a world of finite resources. Hybridizing a vehicle drastically increases its cost, complexity, and weight. For the cost of hybridizing one vehicle, we could FFVize several others, with each FFV doing far more to reduce gasoline use (if it uses alcohol) than any hybrid.
"Especially considering producing E85 in sufficient quantities to supply the entire motor fleet is not feasible without some major advances in technology, both in production, but also in reducing demand for motor fuel."
Unlike oil, which is confined to a select few geographical locations, ethanol crops can be grown all over the world. And there's enormous untapped potential, fallow land, and idle hands with hungry bellies. Thanks to devastating trade barriers, many of the most desperately poor in the Third World lack a market for their labor and produce.
Nor is the developing world alone in potential for improved efficiency. Just since 2002, corn yields per acre in the US have gone up 17% and Iowa alone produces more corn than the entire nation did in the 1940s. And there are oodles of unused land in the US alone; only half of our farmland is even cultivated, and only half of our arable land is used for farmland.
Finally, you ignore M85, which would be a crucial part of the fuel scene in an alcohol economy. Carbon neutral M85 can be made from natural gas that would otherwise have just been flared off, as well as from ANY biomass - crop residues (such as the rest of the corn), trash, sewage, weed plants, you name it. Non carbon neutral M85 can be made from other natural gas and coal which are also abundant, which although it adds CO2 is much cleaner burning when it comes to conventional pollution than coal itself, or gasoline for that matter.
The point is that the resource base for alcohol fuel is as close to unlimited as can reasonably exist short of the massive power potential of fusion, so hand wringing about whether the world can produce enough E85 or whatnot is unnecessary.
Carney 9:36AM (1/09/2009)
Chris M. said, "Carney, your ignorance of the Prius is showing. The Prius NiMH battery is only a hundred pounds and doesn't take up that much space, and the two motor/generators and transaxle together take up slightly less space than a standard transmission. Toyota engineers did a great job of fitting it all into a very small space. Sorry, that "second electric motor" isn't redundant at all, it is the key to the Hybrid Synergy CVT design. "
Well I guess I stand corrected. Is the Prius as heavy, strong, and sturdy as a normal mid sized sedan, then? Or did they cut back on weight in order to enable all that?
In any event, my remarks hold true when it comes to what it takes to hybrid-ize a pre-existing car design that wasn't designed from scratch to be an MPG-miser above all.
"Flex fuel capability isn't much use if there is no E85 to take advantage of it. In the entire state of California, with hundreds of millions of cars, there are exactly 2 E85 stations. Flex Fuel had been pushed by corn growers for their profits, and by the Detroit 3 as a way around the CAFE limits, enabling them to sell more high profit gas guzzlers."
Excellent point, and that's exactly why we need a flex fuel mandate. Our current special interest and symbolic gesture-driven approach of subsidizing ethanol fuel and pumps and giving automakers a CAFE break if they throw in alcohol capability is ineffective.
If we instead mandate that every new car sold be an FFV, which would cost only $100 per model, less than what seat belts cost, and less for Detroit grand total than what America spent on foreign oil in five hours in 2008, we'd have the critical mass of alcohol capable cars that would make E85 and M85 pumps routine and normal rather than impractically rare.
Carney 10:02AM (1/09/2009)
jpm said, "And to everyone else: E85 from corn ethanol is a joke. It's hard just to break even on energy in vs. energy out."
This is completely false. While sugarcane is even better, corn is an excellent source of ethanol energy. Zubrin's book "Energy Victory" has a large chart of the many plants and crops that produce a worthwhile ethanol energy yield. I'll dig up the page number and post some of the data if you need it.
The source for your false claim is a totally discredited, lone study by an insect entomologist writing far outside his field of expertise, and who has been completely refuted in the refereed scientific literature. Outside the expert community where it is completely dead, it got a political megaphone from free market zealots who hate ethanol subsidies but have a huge blind spot when it comes to OPEC's incomparably larger market distortion, as well as from oil cartel funded PR campaigns.
"So everyone stfu about E85 until cellulostic ethanol is avaible (if it ever happens)."
Tell the Brazilians. They're using E85 extensively and every car sold there is E85 compatible. Air quality in their cities has improved dramatically and together with some increased domestic driling they have become completely energy independent.
Cellulosic may or may not be worthwhile, given that switchgrass and all other biomass can already be made in to M85, methanol fuel, today, with no further research necessary.
"Corn E85 will be officially dead once Stephen Chu, Obama's energy secretary takes office."
Oh really? Chu is enthusiastic about cellulosic, but Obama won his crucial victory in Iowa with corn boosterism.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/23/us/politics/23ethanol.html
Obama is not impulsive or reckless; he picks his battles. I doubt he will seek to make corn E85 "dead" (a futile effort BTW) and thus enrage farm state Democrats and be tagged a promise-breaker.
jpm 1:04PM (1/09/2009)
Corn E85 implies using fermentation since corn is 75% starch. My intention was to say that the fermentation method is done for, not the cellulostic method.
Carney 5:28PM (1/05/2009)
This story is (unintentionally?) hilarious. In 2008, even after the brutal beating gas prices took on big vehicle sales, Hummers continue to overwhelmingly out-sell all GM hybrids put together, several times over.
Maybe hybrids are unpopular because they add hundreds in weight, thousands in cost, and don't get us off oil. They sure get a lot of hype though.
Flex fuel vehicles have been around since the 1980s, also quietly outsell hybrids several fold, and are waiting to transform the environment and the geostrategic situation as soon as hybrid-addled policymakers care to notice them and mandate this feature as a standard one in new cars.
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Carney 5:29PM (1/05/2009)
Oops, OK 2008 Hummer sales didn't beat all GM hybrids several times over, but still won by a hefty margin. That still says a lot.
Chris M 8:24PM (1/05/2009)
It just shows how badly GM miscalculated on Hybrid design. While their hybrids get better fuel economy than the non-hybrids, the fuel economy of big hybrid SUVs still isn't anything to get excited about.
The Toyota Prius has consistently outsold the entire Hummer line for nearly a decade!
why not the LS2LS7? 5:43PM (1/05/2009)
How the 26/34 Malibu hybrid managed to sell that many copies up against the 22/33 Malibu LT1 4-cyl is beyond me.
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Brn 7:35PM (1/05/2009)
It's so the green posers can look down their noses at the rest of us.
MikeW 8:47PM (1/05/2009)
Just wait until they get a flat tire.
Dave 12:10PM (1/06/2009)
Probably because the Malibu hybrid doesn't cost much more than the non-hybrid version because it's basically just a battery assisted start-stop system - electricity does little to actually propel the vehicle.