- First Name
- Jake
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- Apr 12, 2021
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- 513
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- Location
- Columbus, OH
- Vehicle(s)
- 2023 Hyundai Tuscon NLine
- Engine
- 2.5L Hybrid
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- #1
I've been thinking, recently, about the logic behind Ford's Maverick Marketing vs Ford's willingness and ability to produce hybrid Mavericks. A lot of this is pretty obvious when you think about it, but the Maverick marketing materials emphasized the “standard hybrid powertrain,” which is (as far as we know) what most Maverick customer’s want.
Ford has referenced the target buyer as being young (under-40) and living in an urban environment. According to one article (millennials and auto trends report), some 36% of millennials, and some 26% of all U.S. car buyers have a preference for hybrid, electric, and/or plug-in electric vehicles (as of 2018, anyway). This correlates pretty strongly with Ford’s target production mix-- 35% hybrid and 65% EcoBoost.
In 2020, 454,900 HEV’s were sold in the U.S, along with 306,300 PHEV’s. (EDIT, per
Falcon first) Total U.S. vehicle sales are in excess of 14,000,000/yr. This would put the total HEV/PHEV market share at roughly 5.4% of new car sales in 2020 (3.2% hybrid and 2.2% electric).
I wasn’t able to find Ford sales/production statistics for hybrid vs traditional gasoline. However, I’ve been studying the car/truck/SUV market since early 2021, and my personal experience is hybrid trims of existing SUVs, cars, and trucks, are few and far between.
For example, while I was watching the local market for hybrid CRVs, Rav4s, and Tuscons, I rarely saw more than a 2 in 10 hybrid models on lots around Columbus, OH. When I’m driving on the road, the vast majority of hybrids, EVs, and PHEVs, I see are specialized stand-alone models (Prius, Insight, CMax, Volt, Tesla, etc). The proportion of hybrid versions of gasoline models (Tuscon, Rav4, Camry, Civic, Crosstrek, etc) on roads, and on car lots are pretty rare. My guess is hybrid and phev trims represent less than 10% of production/sales for these models. Generally speaking, the hybrid trims, with one exception (the Maverick), are offered towards the upper end of the pricing structure. On top of that, it’s pretty obvious global shortages and supply chain issues related to the pandemic are widespread, impacting ever major manufacturer of whom I’m aware.
So, when it gets down to it, the 35% overall production and sales goal for the Maverick is ambitious. It is also an indicator (IMO) of Ford’s push to increase its hybrid and electric vehicle market share. The fact that demand for the hybrid Maverick is well in excess of Fords production goals means we hybrid buyers are going to have to wait. BUT, if the rest of the industry follows Fords lead, we could be in for a rapid uptick in the hybrid powertrains offered by other manufacturers.
Overall, I feel a little less bamboozled by Ford’s marketing campaign and overall production goals for the Maverick. I also feel like Ford did not necessarily blunder in underestimating the demand for a FWD hybrid pickup truck. I think available data backed-up their decision. When you consider the production timeline for the vehicle, they were working off of 2-3 year old data, and it seems apparent the demand for hybrids and/or a vehicle with the kind of versatility and fuel economy of the Maverick.
Moving forward into the realm of pure speculation in the realms of psychology, sociology, and changing socioeconomic factors…I think COVID has forced a change in consumer demand priorities that has not yet settled-out. I have ZERO idea if I am correct here, but it stands to reason people who have lived through a pandemic and social unrest we’re experiencing are going have a shift in priorities when it comes to what they buy and how.
https://www.duffandphelps.com/insig...f-hybrid-electric-vehicles-poised-to-increase
https://www.acea.auto/fuel-pc/fuel-...11-9-petrol-47-5-market-share-full-year-2020/
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-ta...et-slow-growth-in-u-s-faster-in-china-europe/
https://www.bts.gov/data-spotlight/electric-vehicle-use-grows
https://www.statista.com/statistics/199974/us-car-sales-since-1951/
https://www.thedrive.com/news/40040...t-in-q1-thanks-to-f-150-hybrid-mustang-mach-e
Ford has referenced the target buyer as being young (under-40) and living in an urban environment. According to one article (millennials and auto trends report), some 36% of millennials, and some 26% of all U.S. car buyers have a preference for hybrid, electric, and/or plug-in electric vehicles (as of 2018, anyway). This correlates pretty strongly with Ford’s target production mix-- 35% hybrid and 65% EcoBoost.
In 2020, 454,900 HEV’s were sold in the U.S, along with 306,300 PHEV’s. (EDIT, per
Falcon first) Total U.S. vehicle sales are in excess of 14,000,000/yr. This would put the total HEV/PHEV market share at roughly 5.4% of new car sales in 2020 (3.2% hybrid and 2.2% electric).
I wasn’t able to find Ford sales/production statistics for hybrid vs traditional gasoline. However, I’ve been studying the car/truck/SUV market since early 2021, and my personal experience is hybrid trims of existing SUVs, cars, and trucks, are few and far between.
For example, while I was watching the local market for hybrid CRVs, Rav4s, and Tuscons, I rarely saw more than a 2 in 10 hybrid models on lots around Columbus, OH. When I’m driving on the road, the vast majority of hybrids, EVs, and PHEVs, I see are specialized stand-alone models (Prius, Insight, CMax, Volt, Tesla, etc). The proportion of hybrid versions of gasoline models (Tuscon, Rav4, Camry, Civic, Crosstrek, etc) on roads, and on car lots are pretty rare. My guess is hybrid and phev trims represent less than 10% of production/sales for these models. Generally speaking, the hybrid trims, with one exception (the Maverick), are offered towards the upper end of the pricing structure. On top of that, it’s pretty obvious global shortages and supply chain issues related to the pandemic are widespread, impacting ever major manufacturer of whom I’m aware.
So, when it gets down to it, the 35% overall production and sales goal for the Maverick is ambitious. It is also an indicator (IMO) of Ford’s push to increase its hybrid and electric vehicle market share. The fact that demand for the hybrid Maverick is well in excess of Fords production goals means we hybrid buyers are going to have to wait. BUT, if the rest of the industry follows Fords lead, we could be in for a rapid uptick in the hybrid powertrains offered by other manufacturers.
Overall, I feel a little less bamboozled by Ford’s marketing campaign and overall production goals for the Maverick. I also feel like Ford did not necessarily blunder in underestimating the demand for a FWD hybrid pickup truck. I think available data backed-up their decision. When you consider the production timeline for the vehicle, they were working off of 2-3 year old data, and it seems apparent the demand for hybrids and/or a vehicle with the kind of versatility and fuel economy of the Maverick.
Moving forward into the realm of pure speculation in the realms of psychology, sociology, and changing socioeconomic factors…I think COVID has forced a change in consumer demand priorities that has not yet settled-out. I have ZERO idea if I am correct here, but it stands to reason people who have lived through a pandemic and social unrest we’re experiencing are going have a shift in priorities when it comes to what they buy and how.
https://www.duffandphelps.com/insig...f-hybrid-electric-vehicles-poised-to-increase
https://www.acea.auto/fuel-pc/fuel-...11-9-petrol-47-5-market-share-full-year-2020/
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-ta...et-slow-growth-in-u-s-faster-in-china-europe/
https://www.bts.gov/data-spotlight/electric-vehicle-use-grows
https://www.statista.com/statistics/199974/us-car-sales-since-1951/
https://www.thedrive.com/news/40040...t-in-q1-thanks-to-f-150-hybrid-mustang-mach-e
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