Ford announced it has surpassed its previous full-year hybrid sales record set in 2010 of 35,496 vehicles in the first five months of 2013. Through May, Ford is projected to sell around 37,000 hybrid vehicles, accounting for an increase of around 375 percent over the same period last year.
Growth was fueled by models such as the C-Max Hybrid, C-Max Energi, Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi, as well as Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. The sales results rank Ford second to Toyota in the number of vehicles it sells in the United States. Ford currently has a hybrid-vehicle market share of 15.5 percent through April 2013, up from 3 percent last year.
Ford says the Fusion Hybrid’s conquest sales are 67 percent, with C-Max Hybrid at 63 percent, with most conquest sales coming from Toyota and Honda. The Fusion Hybrid makes up 15 percent of overall Fusion sales.
Launched in February, the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid is also expected to achieve its best sales month ever. “Our all-new electrified vehicle lineup is drawing new customers to the Ford brand,” said C.J. O’Donnell, Ford electrification group marketing manager. “We are growing our business by providing fuel-efficient products that don’t force customers to compromise the design, technology and comfort that are available across the Ford lineup,” he added.
Well, maybe the decision to triple the number of dealers that can sell plug-in hybrids and EVs is starting to bear fruit.
By Dan Mihalascu
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