Hybrid vehicle sales rose 76 percent last year to 801,550 vehicles, which accounts for 5% of US light vehicle sales, according to data from analytics firm Wards Intelligence.
Pure electric cars are grabbing all the headlines, but their gasoline-electric hybrid rivals quietly achieved record sales in the United States last year, industry data showed.
While the likes of Tesla Inc. and Ford Motor Co. pushed for electric vehicle sales, Asian automakers promoted hybrid vehicle line-ups, as many customers still use EVs due to high prices, limited driving range or lack of charging stations. are away from.
Hybrid vehicle sales rose 76 percent last year to 801,550 vehicles, which accounts for 5% of US light vehicle sales, according to data from analytics firm Wards Intelligence.
Electric vehicle sales also jumped 83 percent to 434,879, but represent only 3% of the market.
Toyota Motor Corp. reported record hybrid car sales for the US market, helping the Japanese automaker to overtake General Motors Co. as the best-selling US automaker.
Toyota increased its hybrid, plug-in and fuel cell sales by 73% to 583,697, the majority of which came from hybrids. GM sold fewer than 25,000 electric vehicles after the Bolt EV was recalled due to the risk of a battery fire.
“Hybrids offer a really interesting mix of fuel economy performance without some of the major drawbacks present in electric vehicles,” said Brett Smith, technology director at the Center for Automotive Research.
Electric vehicle sales also jumped 83 percent to 434,879, but represent only 3% of the market.
Pure EVs run only on electricity and require a charging infrastructure, while hybrid EVs combine a conventional combustion engine with an electric propulsion system.
Honda Motor Co., the No. 2 hybrid car seller in the United States, also saw hybrid sales grow 67% in 2020 compared to a record 107,060 last year’s 107,060.
“We expect hybrid sales of our core products, the CR-V and Accord, to increase as we prepare for battery electric vehicles in the coming years,” Honda Executive Vice President Dave Gardner told Reuters.
Honda, which plans to launch its first EV for the US market in 2024, had expected the market to accelerate due to several new models launched by automakers and policy support by the Biden administration.
“It’s just a matter of time, but consumer acceptance, I think, will take some time to catch on,” Gardner said.
Hyundai Motor Company sees hybrid and plug-in hybrids as “enablers” that will help accelerate battery EV sales, said its global chief operating officer, Jose Munoz.
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“Some of our competitors, they jump straight into battery EVs… we still see many consumers who are hesitant to just get into battery EVs,” he said.
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