It seems that hybrid vehicles are not out of the mix just yet
According to a report by Reuters, sales of hybrid vehicles in the United States saw a record 76% increase to 801,550 units last year, despite the relentless championing of pure electric vehicles by manufacturers.
Data from analytics firm Wards Intelligence show that the figure accounted for 5% of U.S. light vehicles sales. Meanwhile, sales of EVs saw a slightly bigger jump – 83% to 434,879 units last year – but only represented 3% of the market.
The report goes on to say that many customers stay clear of EVs for reasons such as higher prices, limited driving range and lack of charging stations. The U.S. Department of Energy says there are currently less than 46,000 EV public charging sites in the country.
Toyota, having faced boycott threats for slowing down EV progress, hit record high in hybrid, plug-in and fuel-cell vehicles sales with 583,697 units sold, representing a whopping increase of 73%.
The Japanese automaker overtook General Motors, which sold fewer than 25,000 EVs in the whole of 2021, no thanks to the recall of the Chevrolet Bolt EV due to battery fire risks.
Honda, the number No. 2 hybrid car seller in the U.S., saw an equally promising 67% growth in hybrid sales to a record 107,060 units last year. The company expects the sales of its hybridised CR-V and Accord to increase substantially in the coming years as it prepares to launch its first EV for the U.S. market in 2024.
“It is just a matter of time, but I think consumer acceptance, it’s going to take a while to catch up to,” Dave Gardner, executive vice president at Honda, told Reuters.
Meanwhile, Jose Munoz, global chief operating officer of Hyundai said the company sees hybrids and plug-in hybrids as “enablers” that will help accelerate sales of battery EVs.
