Report Says "Sales Rise, Market Share Drops, No Future for Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles"

Although the sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles have been rising, their market share has been dropping since 2013, according to a new study released by IDTechx.

Cases presented by the research firm to highlight the drop in the market share of plug-in hybrid vehicles include:

1.General Motors abandoning its Volt plug-in hybrid vehicles

2.The UK government withdrawing its support for plug-in hybrid vehicles because people never plugged them in, not benefiting the environment at all

3.Many users reporting two types of range anxiety: a small battery and a small gas tank

The report states that more car models are being introduced but there is no future for the market.

Dr. Peter Harrop, one of the report authors, said: "Traditional automotive companies wish to keep the internal combustion engine going for a bit longer. Many have revealed how far they are behind Tesla in pure electric by bringing out what are essentially copies of Tesla powertrains from six years ago but not all. Hyundai Kia, for example, has one-year waiting lists for its excellent pure-electric cars. They will clear that delay, releasing pent-up demand. Others will rapidly copy that success.

"Well-funded start-ups go straight to pure electric. Tesla Roadster will have 1,000 kilometers range matching gasoline: it will then become commonplace. Those buying internal combustion vehicles hope the city and country bans will not apply to hybrids. However, they face increasing range anxiety from the number of gas stations plummeting – Experian Catalyst reports a drop of 35% in UK gasoline stations since the year 2000 – whilst charging stations increase. They have financial anxiety from dropping resale values."

Harrop concludes, "There is absolutely nothing to reverse dropping market share for plug-in hybrids leading to decline in sales numbers. Indeed, with new inputs, we have just revised our forecasts down to show plug-in car sales at zero in 2030. Technologically, they are becalmed while pure-electric is evolving fast – from camper mode to solar versions that never plug in."