While the likes of Tesla Inc and Ford Motor Co pushed for
electric vehicle sales, Asian automakers boosted hybrid vehicle line-ups, as
many customers still shun EVs due to higher prices, limited driving range or
lack of charging stations.
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.
Toyota Motor Corp posted record hybrid car sales for the
U.S. market, helping the Japanese automaker overtake General Motors Co as the
top-selling U.S. automaker.
Toyota boosted sales of its hybrids, plug-ins and fuel cells
by 73% to 583,697, with most of them coming from hybrid. GM sold fewer than
25,000 electric vehicles, as it recalled Bolt EVs due to battery fire risks.
"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.
Pure EVs run only on electricity and require charging
infrastructure, while hybrid EVs combine a conventional combustion engine with
an electric propulsion system.
Honda Motor Co, the No. 2 hybrid car seller in the United
States, also boosted hybrid sales by 67% compared with 2020 to a record 107,060
last year.
"We hope to increase our hybrid sales of our core
products, CR-V and Accord, substantially in the coming years as we prepare for
battery electric vehicles," Dave Gardner, executive vice president at
Honda, told Reuters.
Honda, which plans to launch its first EV for the U.S.
market in 2024, expected the market to take off thanks to a slew of new model
launches by automakers and policy support by the Biden administration.
"It is just a matter of time, but I think consumer
acceptance, it's going to take a while to catch up to," Gardner said.
Hyundai Motor Co sees hybrids and plug-in hybrids as
"enablers" that will help accelerate sales of battery EVs, its global
chief operating officer, Jose Munoz, said.
"Some of our competitors, they jump directly into the
battery EV only ... We still see many consumers that are hesitant when it comes
to getting into battery EV only," he said.
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