DEARBORN – Ford in the first quarter of 2013 sold more than 20,000 hybrids, the best hybrid sales quarter ever for Ford.
Ford’s hybrid sales were up 324 percent nationally over 2012, achieving 16 percent share of the electrified vehicle market – up from 4 percent last year.
This was the first quarter in which Ford offered all four of its new hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, including Fusion Hybrid, Fusion Energi, C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi. Ford’s first hybrid offerings went on sale in October 2004, nearly a decade ago.
This record sales quarter was driven by the success of the C-Max hybrids and Fusion hybrids. The all-new design, fuel efficiency and smart technology the company’s new hybrids offer is attracting an entirely new group of customers to Ford showrooms.
Three out of four customers in key hybrid markets are coming from other brands. In addition to fueling a surge in sales of Ford’s latest electrified vehicles, these customers are equipping their new rides with some of the most advanced technology on the market.
One quarter of electrified vehicles sold in the United States in 2012 were purchased in California – more than any other state – and increasingly these customers are opting for a Ford-brand vehicle. Since the new 2013 Fusion Hybrid went on sale last fall, 73 percent of the car’s customers in the Los Angeles area are new to the Ford brand. In the San Francisco area, 77 percent of Fusion Hybrid customers are coming from another brand.
Toyota remains the top conquest brand for both Fusion Hybrid and C-Max hybrids. Initial sales data show C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi are also bringing new customers to Ford, with conquest rates remaining above 60 percent since the vehicles hit the market in 2012.
Even among consumers who are still car shopping, Ford hybrids have gained ground on the longtime market leader. According to data from consumer research site Edmunds.com, Ford’s all-new Fusion Hybrid is already taking the lead over Toyota Camry Hybrid in purchase consideration. Meanwhile C-Max hybrids – Ford’s newest nameplate and first dedicated hybrid lineup – are showing consideration equal to Toyota Prius and purchase intent near equal to Prius, all while offering lower incentives than Toyota for both Camry Hybrid and Prius. The Prius and Honda CR-V remain the top two competitive trade-ins for C-Max Hybrid.
Fusion hybrids are also attracting the youngest wave of customers in the midsize segment. More than one in five buyers of Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi are under 36 years old.
Ford’s electrified vehicles are also attracting customers in areas that have traditionally shied away from hybrids, including Texas, Florida and the central region. One-third of all C-Max sales are in the Midwest, where hybrid sales have historically been lower.
