There are about 30,000 plug-in electric vehicles on US roads since their launch a year and-a-half ago – far away from the million unit goal. Sales are steady now, but are not increasing substantially at this point to hit the one-million-units-sold-by-2015 benchmark. As for May sales numbers, the Chevrolet Volt moved past the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, delivering 1,680 units, up 15% from April’s sales figure of 1,462, but down from its all-time March high of 2,289. There were 1,086 Prius Plug-In Hybrids sold last month. The Nissan Leaf was still behind in sales, at 510 units in May, up from its April low of 370 but down from 1,142 units in May 2011. Nissan intends to increase production of the Leaf and has been constrained by limits on fabrication of the car’s lithium-ion battery pack. That should open up later this year when li-ion cell plants in the UK and Tennessee open up.
Ford has been quiet about its Focus Electric, which was launched in this model year, but is just now making its way to retail sales. Mitsubishi has also been low key about its EV launch with the i car selling about 300 units in the US since being launched this model year, with 85 units sold last month.
