January 6, 2022 – Pure electric cars are making all the headlines, but their gasoline-electric hybrid rivals quietly achieved record sales in the United States last year, industry data showed.
U.S. sales of hybrid vehicle sales jumped 76% to 801,550 vehicles last year, accounting for 5% of U.S. light vehicle sales, according to data from analytics firm Wards Intelligence. Sales of EVs also jumped 83% to 434,879, but represented a meager 3% of the market.
Pure EVs run only on electricity and require charging infrastructure, while hybrid EVs combine a conventional combustion engine with an electric propulsion system. “Hybrids offer a really intriguing mix of fuel economy performance without some of the huge drawbacks that electric vehicles present,” Brett Smith, technology director at Center for Automotive Research, said.