Raise in demand for hybrid cars

Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd and UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd have previously recorded combined bookings of almost 1,500 units for their Honda Insight and Toyota Prius hybrid models correspondingly in the span of less than three months.

The bookings, if they were to materialize into sales, would represent a major jump compared with just the 297 total hybrid units sold in the whole of 2009.

The spike in demand for hybrids has been fuelled chiefly by the Government's decision under Budget 2011 to grant full excise duty exemptions on hybrid cars below 2,000cc until Dec 31, 2011.

A representative from UMW Toyota said the company had received above 470 bookings for the Prius as the Government's budget announcement on Oct 15, while a spokesperson from Honda Malaysia said it had got 946 bookings for the Insight since the vehicle was commenced at the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show (KLIMS) earlier this month.

“We are guess bookings to beat 1,000 units by the end of the month,” said the spokesman from Honda, adding that the company had discontinued selling the Honda Civic Hybrid to focus on the Insight instead.

“We have stopped importing the Civic Hybrid however even the stock that we have has already been taken up.”

According to the spokesman, Honda Malaysia will carry on to service and give spare parts for the Civic Hybrid. In whole, the company has sold 376 units of the Civic Hybrid, of which 18 units are its first generation (2003) model.

At RM98, 000, the Insight is the cheapest hybrid and Honda Malaysia is aiming to sell 4,000 units of the Insight by the end of 2011.

An analyst from a local research house said the spike in demand for hybrid cars similar to the Insight reflected the public's need for fuel efficient cars at reasonable prices.

“The car is not only cheaper but gives good fuel economy as well,” he said.