A record 1 in 8 cars sold in America is now a hybrid, estimates show
When the leadership of the world’s largest car manufacturer makes a prediction about the future of driving, it’s probably worth paying attention. However, despite warnings from Akio Toyoda — Toyota Motor’s former CEO and current chairman — that full-battery electric vehicles would only ever get to a 30% market share, much of the industry has continued to drive full-throttle into an expensive, electrified future.
Increasingly, Akio Toyoda is looking like he might have a point.
Hybrid theory
As America’s enthusiasm for full-battery electric vehicles slows, the humble hybrid is gathering speed. Estimates from Wards Intelligence, reported last week by the US Energy Information Administration, revealed that 12.4% of the light-duty vehicles sold in America over the last three months were hybrid EVs. Just 7.1% were full-battery electric (BEV) and 2.1% were plug-in hybrids (PHEV).
The remainder, some 78%, were traditional internal-combustion engine vehicles, confirming that America remains a long way from fully embracing electric. Tesla, the country’s bestselling EV producer, reported a decline in deliveries last quarter, with sales in Europe continuing to come under pressure.
Toyota, on the other hand, while still facing the wider industry pressures like tariffs and higher material costs, has held on to its crown as the world’s largest car manufacturer, selling 10.8 million vehicles last year. Just over 1% of those were full BEVs, while nearly 40% were hybrids of some description.
