Cumulative Plug-in Electric Vehicle Sales are Two and a Half Times Higher than Hybrid Electric Vehicle Sales in the First 45 Months since Market Introduction

The first hybrid electric vehicle was introduced in December 1999 and for the next 45 months (through August 2003) there were a total of 95,778 hybrid vehicles sold. The first mass-marketed plug-in electric vehicles arrived in December 2010. By August 2014 (45 months later), cumulative sales of plug-in electric vehicles reached 247,188; that is two and one-half times more than hybrids at the same point in time after market introduction. It is noteworthy that the higher sales of plug-in electric vehicles came during a period of lower overall light vehicle sales. Following the economic recession, light vehicle sales reached just 12.5 million for 2011 and recovered to 15.3 million by 2013. During the 45 month introduction period of hybrid vehicles (December 1999-August 2003) overall light vehicle sales were about 17 million per year.