Hybrid car market picking up sharply

AMMAN — Popularity of hybrid cars among Jordanian motorists is growing sharply with official data showing that demand for the fuel-efficient vehicles increased by nearly six-fold in 2013 and so far this year, with Toyota Prius stands as the top selling hybrid car. 

According to figures compiled by the Jordan Customs Department (JCD) and made available to The Jordan Times, the number of fuel economy cars sold in 2013 went up to 14,565 compared with only 2,662 the year before. 

Between January and July of this year hybrid car sales continued to grow as the JCD report showed that a total of 12,105 cars entered the Jordanian market. 

A sector leader attributed the increase in popularity on these to tax incentives and rising fuel prices in the Kingdom. 

The import of hybrid cars to Jordan started in 2010 as they were exempted from taxes. In 2010, a total of 6,360 entered the domestic market. 

But in 2011, sales of the environment-friendly cars saw a major setback when the government imposed a special tax rate of 55 per cent of the value of the car, causing a sharp decline in imports. 

The JCD data indicated that only 558 hybrid cars were brought to the Kingdom in the said year. 

In a bid to revive the hybrid auto market, the government reduced the special tax rate in June 2012 to 25 per cent on hybrids with 2,500cc engines and less, while those with larger engines are still subject to the 55 per cent tax.

The overall number of hybrid cars currently in Jordan is around 33,588, according to the customs department. 

Nabil Rumman, president of the Jordan Free Zone Investors Association, said that Toyota Prius is the most popular car in Jordan as the case in some other countries such as the US, adding that the second most popular is the Toyota Camry followed by Ford Escape.

Between 60 to 70 per cent of hybrid cars on Jordanian roads are Prius, he noted. 

The Prius is the most fuel-efficient car in the world and its maintenance has become widely available in Jordan, Rumman told The Jordan Times Wednesday.

On the number of second-hand hybrid cars that were imported in 2014, Rumman noted that around 6,000 used autos were cleared from the free zone by the end of July this year.