Fuel Economy and Regulations to Drive Hybrid Car Market

Fuel Economy and Regulations to Drive Hybrid Car Market

The invention of hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) has served the dual purpose of fuel economy and the growing demand for less polluting vehicles. The vehicles that run on gasoline incur high fuel costs for customers and the electric vehicles involve high initial investment, as they are much costlier. To deal with the situation, automobile manufacturers have invented the hybrid electric vehicle that runs on both gasoline and with electric motors.

Despite being in the market for the last ten years, hybrid cars still account for less than 2% of all new car sales. Europe has shown reluctance for adopting hybrid cars as only 0.2% of the total vehicles sold in Europe are hybrids. This is mainly because of the prominence and affordability of the diesel automobile.

Demand for hybrid cars are likely to increase significantly because of fuel efficiency with the price of gasoline increasing at an alarming rate. Regulations to curb emissions is also a shot in the arm for hybrid vehicle manufacturers as automobiles are one of the most polluting entities globally. Demands for hybrid vehicles are also likely to increase as various governments are offering tax incentives to stimulate the demand for hybrid vehicles.

Currently, three automobile manufacturers – Toyota, Ford and Honda control the overall global hybrid cars market. The dominance of these three players are likely to continue for the next three years with other automobile manufacturers like General Motors, DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen being the late entrants to this lucrative market.

The report is a study on the hybrid car markets – the factors that are driving its growth and the challenges it is likely to face from alternative technologies. The report analyzed the three prominent markets for hybrid cars – United States, Europe and Japan. It also assesses the sales, strategies and plans of the three leading hybrid car manufacturers – Toyota, Ford and Honda. The future of the hybrid car market has also been studied in this report.

1. Hybrid Cars – An Introduction
This section develops an understanding of the three different types of hybrids - Micro Hybrid, Mild Hybrid and Full Hybrid.

2. Market Overview
In this section, the growth of the hybrid car market has been assessed

3. Hybrid Market Growth by Geography
This section is a study on the growth of hybrid cars - the reasons for growth and the potential opportunities for growth.
3.1 Japan
3.2 Europe
3.3 United States

4. Growth Drivers for Hybrid Cars
Increasing oil prices
Fuel economy – one of the major drivers of growth for hybrids
Environmental Regulations
Lower lifetime energy use compared to conventional vehicles
Buyers of eco-friendly cars getting tax credits

5. Major Challenges for Hybrid Vehicles
5.1 Alternative Technologies
5.2 Diesel-Powered Vehicles

6. Competitive Landscape

7. Leading Players
7.1 Toyota
Company Profile
Toyota’s Hybrid Sales
Prius – Toyota’s Mega Brand
Future Plans and Strategies
7.2 Honda
Company Profile
Honda’s Hybrid Sales
Future Plans and Strategies
7.3 Ford
Company Profile
Ford’s Hybrid Sales
Future Plans and Strategies
7.4 DaimlerChrysler-GM-BMW
7.5 Volkswagen
7.6 PSA Peugeot

8. Market Forecast

List of Tables and Figures
Figures
Figure 2.1: Sales of Hybrid Cars Globally: 2003-2006
Figure 3.1: Unit Sales Break-up of Hybrid Cars by Geography: 2006
Figure 3.2: Unit Sales of Hybrid Cars in Japan: 1998-2006
Figure 3.3: Percentage Share of Hybrid Cars in Japan: 2006
Figure 3.4: Unit Sales of Hybrid Cars in Europe: 2000-2006
Figure 3.5: Percentage Share of Hybrid Cars in Europe: 2006
Figure 3.6: Unit Sales of Hybrid Cars in United States: 2000-2006
Figure 3.7: Percentage Share of Hybrid Cars in US: 2006
Figure 4.1: Crude Oil Prices (2001-07)
Figure 6.1: Market Share by Leading Players - Global Hybrid Car Sales (2006)
Figure 7.1: Toyota’s hybrid vehicle sales units: 1997-2006
Figure 7.2: Prius Sales: 1998-2007
Figure 7.3: Honda’s Cumulative Hybrid Sales by Geography (2006)
Figure 8.1: Sales Forecast of Hybrid Cars Globally: 2010 & 2015

Tables
Table 1.1: Comparison for hybrid motors
Table 3.1: Sales of hybrid cars in US by model
Table 6.1: Hybrid Car Models by year of launch
Table 7.1: Leading Hybrid Brands by Unit Sales (2006)
Table 7.2: Toyota Hybrid Models: Launch and Sales Figures
Table 7.3: Honda’s Hybrid Models: Launch and Sales Figures
Table 7.4: Ford’s Hybrid Models: Launch and Sales Figures