Sales of diesel-powered vehicles were up 37 percent in August, as more consumers searched for fuel-efficient offerings. To no one’s surprise, diesel sales were led by the Volkswagen Jetta TDI and Golf TDI.
While diesel vehicles appear to be gaining some traction here in the U.S., they still only accounted for 0.82 percent of total automotive sales last month. VW sold just 4,800 Jetta TDIs. Still, with the Jetta’s recent redesign, and the launch of the all-new domestically-produced Passat, production volumes and sales of oil burners are expected to increase in the coming months.
Meanwhile, hybrid sales continue to recover as well, following a drop in sales due to production disruptions from the March earthquake in Japan. As usual, the Toyota Prius reigned in August sales, garnering 9,500 sales. Despite Toyota’s reign as the hybrid leader, Honda and Hyundai are still gaining ground. However, with a lack of new and exciting hybrid offerings, the Prius will likely remain at the top of the heap for quite some time — especially as more Prius variants are slated to arrive in showrooms later this year.
While the overall auto market is up by 7.5 percent, hybrid sales are down by almost 12 percent compared to a year ago.
For a complete breakdown of hybrid and electric vehicle sales in August, check out the updated sales dashboard on HybridCars.com.
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