Even after tripling production, Lexus will have a hard time keeping up with the HS 250h demand in Japan:
Orders for Lexus’ first dedicated hybrid, the HS250h, reached 10,000 units in its first month, smashing its sales target of 500, parent company Toyota Motor Corp. said.
The waiting list for the HS250h is now six months long. Advance orders stood at 3,000 units.
To put this into perspective, total 2008 sales in Japan was just 25,945 units—though I can’t help but think the sales target of 500 units might have been artificially low to increase interest.
(With the car slowly arriving in US dealerships, soon we’re going to know if the new hybrid can repeat its Japanese success.)
[Source: The Mainichi Daily News & Club Lexus]