Plug-in electrics (PEVs) and hybrids (PHEVs) are all the rage in automakers’ efforts to provide for zero, or close to zero, emission transportation. Eco-friendly or not, the problem is that their adoption is problematic.
A report by the Research Capsule, which looks at the market for PEVs and PHEVs in leading countries says that the markets for plug-ins is geographically inconsistent.
For example, Norway is the world’s adoption leader, while its neighbor Sweden is one of Europe’s laggards. Likewise, sales in the Netherlands have boomed but in the much bigger German market they are but a fraction of Dutch deliveries. France’s PEV market is almost three times as big as that of Spain. And then there’s always the US, where California alone accounts for 50 percent or so of total sales.
This year, only five nations will achieve PEV sales of more than 10,000 units, and only one will break the 10 percent market share in the next five years. It’s telling that, currently, a 1 percent share of the total fleet is considered a success. Also, executives of major manufacturers acknowledge that PEVs have potential, they predict that mass volumes are still way into the future.
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