The global sales of light-duty electric vehicles went past the 1.5 million mark in May, with a further increase expected in the future. Taking into account the entire plug-in car fleet from the year 2004, the actual count may be close to one million, five hundred and ten thousand units through May. Approximately 45,000 are likely to be sold in June. This means that this month, the count may hit 1.555 million. A remarkable fact is that it took more than ten years for the global tally to reach 1.28 million. About 220,000 plug-in electric cars were sold just between January and May.
In May 2014, about 500,000 electric cars were reported, while in September 2015, about one million plug-in electric cars were reported. The growth rate is higher compared to that of hybrid cars. This is because plug-in electrics are built on a foundation set by the initial electrified vehicles. The market is however quite small since the number of light duty cars on the current roads across the globe is approximately one billion.
China is this year’s highest selling and fastest growing market. In terms of cumulative sales, however, the United States is still the leader. Between January and May, about 82,713 units were purchased in China exclusive of imported plug-in cars like those from BMW and Tesla. About 51,893 units were purchased by the U.S with smaller players accounting for the remaining sales. Notable purchasers include the U.K, Norway, Japan, and France. In 2014, California’s sales surpassed those of China, and since March about 205,369 units.
From a statistical perspective, when beginning from scratch, it is not surprising to note comparatively huge percentage increases. Plug-in electric cars just came out of the infancy stage based on automotive standards. The good news is that regardless of the cheap gas prices, low consumer enthusiasm, and pushback from many sources, things seem to be moving toward the right direction.
The models and makes of battery electric and plug-in hybrid cars have increased across the globe. The selection in Europe alone is two times that of the United States. To further help things, a battery electric car that will cost less than forty thousand dollars with a range of more than two hundred miles is scheduled for release this year. Different car manufacturers have promised to release new models. Plug-in hybrid cars are seen as an excellent way of improving fuel emission scores and adhere to regulation standards. Hence, the sales of PEVs have proven to increase over time with a strong foothold being set.