Plug-in electric vehicle sales are on their way to moving past 2011 results (about 17,000 last year and over 14,000 in the first five months of this year), whether or not that’s significant to auto industry analysts. Plug-in hybrid/extended range cars are continuing to take the lead, with the Chevy Volt taking back its top spot over the Prius Plug-in Hybrid. Toyota is continuing to dominate hybrid electric vehicle sales, accounting for two thirds of hybrid sales in May 2012. Its three Prius hybrid variations and Camry hybrid are leading the category. May hybrid sales were down from the previous month, but were up dramatically relative to May 2011 when availability was limited due to the earthquake/tsunami.
One of the more surprising things to see on the sales figure chart is the fact that the Ford Focus Electric has only sold eight units since being launched this year. Ford Motor Co. has been aggressively marketing the Focus Electric for the past couple of years on TV and social media. Perhaps the Ford C-Max plug-in hybrid will be more competitive with the Volt and Prius Plug-in, though that Ford production won’t be coming out until 2013.
