Electric cars market is moving in a fast pace, as Toyota Prius, Nissan Leaf EV and Chevrolet Volt/Ampera have made significant growth in the market.
Introduced in 2000, Toyota Prius has registered cumulative sales of more than 52000 in 2013. Nissan Leaf EV, meanwhile approached 100,000 and Chevrolet Volt/Ampera has sold out almost 70,000.
According to HIS Automotive, altogether, the Leaf and Volt/Ampera saw more than three times the cumulative sales total for the Prius in the fourth year after introduction.
Ben Scott, analyst for IHS Automotive said: “Most EV drivers still own their first-generation electric vehicles. Furthermore, there have been insufficient product offerings to effectively legitimize the market and show to consumers that EVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) represent the way of the future.
“However, with EV adoption exceeding the historical precedent of hybrids, this means that the trend toward EVs is still progressing, although at a slower rate than many had expected,” he added
Legislation and incentives have inflated the relative sales of EVs, given that there were no such inducements available during the launch of the Toyota Prius. However, EV sales growth remains impressive compared to the Prius, which now is regarded as a successful vehicle line.
Despite this, there have been some more positive moves in the industry both in terms of vehicles on the road and EV/PHEV availability.
Tesla’s Model S has sold remarkably well in the United States, proving that consumers will pay for a premium electric sedan. The BMW i3 went on the road at the end of 2013, occupying the small urban car segment, alongside the VW e-up! and Smart Fortwo electric drive.
The archetypal compact car, the VW Golf, will be available in a purely electric form later this year; the VW e-Golf. Also available in 2014 will be the plug-in hybrids VW Golf GTE and Audi A3 e-tron.
Ford’s C-Max Energi will be offered in Europe in 2014, cementing its place in the plug-in hybrid multipurpose vehicle (MPV) segment. This year there are more than 100 PHEVs/EVs available in production globally to consumers.
While the all-electric Leaf currently outsells the PHEV Volt/Ampera, this situation will change in the future. Until recently there have not been many PHEVs available, but 2014 will be an important year as more of these vehicles enter the market, said HIS Automotive.
Scott said. “IHS Automotive predicts that by 2020, global production of PHEVs will exceed EVs by a ratio of 55:45. PHEVs could be a critical stepping stone to pure electrification of the powertrain in the years following the year 2020.”