Toyota Needs More Batteries to Meet Prius Demand
Hybrids are booming in the U.S. thanks to the fuel efficient and green nature of the cars. The government $4,500 gas-guzzler trade-in program also helped sales of fuel-efficient cars and hybrids during the month of July in America.
Toyota is seeing very robust sales of its new Prius. Sales are so good in fact that many dealers have waiting lists for the vehicles that are months long. Toyota says that it can’t simply increase production of the Prius, which is crushing the Honda Insight in sales, because its battery partner can’t produce more batteries.
Toyota currently has the capacity to produce 500,000 Prius hybrids each year and its battery partner Panasonic EV Energy (PEVE) can't make any more of the batteries the Prius relies on at this point.
