A new study revealed that more car buyers are choosing plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) while fewer are choosing traditional hybrid vehicles. Both types are considered to be electric vehicles, and hybrid sales far outnumber PEV sales.
"A study by online automotive research company Edmunds.com suggests a stall in the market for electrically powered cars, led by a decline in hybrids," writes Charles Fleming of the Los Angeles Times.
However, the study defines electric vehicles to include hybrid vehicles that lack home charging capability, i.e. plugs, and that's key to understanding the study's findings. In fact, the research by Senior Analyst and Director of Pricing and Industry Analysis, Jessica Caldwell, "showed substantial gains in the pure EV and plug-in hybrid (PHEV or PHV) segments -- 35% and 44%, respectively," writes Fleming.
But traditional hybrid sales fell from 350,530 vehicles from January to August last year to 327,418 during the same period in 2014. [A decline of 6.6%]
Sales of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), which includes any electric vehicle with a plug, are recorded by Inside EVs. Note the five top-sellers from January through August this year:
- Nissan Leaf: 18,941
- Chevy Volt: 13,146
- Toyota Prius PHV: 11,489
- Ford Fusion Energi 8,683
- Tesla Model S: 8,500
However, the drop in hybrid sales brought down the market share of electric vehicle share of the total auto market. "So far this year, they account for 3.66% of all vehicles sold, down from 3.84% for the same period a year ago," notes Fleming.
As for reasons to explain why traditional hybrid vehicles have dropped in sales, Caldwell suggests "stable gas prices, increasingly good fuel-efficiency levels of gas cars, (and) higher average price of electric vehicles.“
Indeed, the latest gasoline price projections show continued declines resulting from "a global glut of crude oil", notwithstanding the increasing political turbulence due to tensions with Islamic State.
"This was a market that was supposed to grow, relatively rapidly, as people embraced these new technologies and more brands began selling these models,” said Edmunds senior analyst Jessica Caldwell. “That hasn’t happened.
Further, it comes during a year in which sales of all cars have been booming. The industry just reported its best August in more than a decade, and it has gained about 5% so far this year compared with the same period last year.
FULL STORY: Electrified car sales stall as buyers back away from hybrids
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.