PHEVs to Take Over America, EVs Asia and Europe

Seen by most as a better choice than the purely electric vehicle, the plug-in hybrid is expected to be a hit in the first half of the decade, according to a new study published by Pike Research. According to the organization, by the time the calendar will read 2015, there will be roughly 1 million electric vehicles on the roads around the world.

Providing far better fuel economy that conventional cars, and coming at the same time with the promise of an increased range and, as a consequence, less range anxiety, the sales of plug-in hybrids will be almost tied with the ones of pure electric cars.

Pike Research says that by the middle of the decade, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will account for 56 percent of total plug-in car sales, a number that is somewhat lower than the industry expected. This type of plug-in will be more popular in countries in the Asia Pacific region and Europe.

The Americans, on the other hand, will likely choose plug-in hybrids, due to the reasons mentioned above. In North America, PHEVs will account for 71 percent of all electric vehicles sales by 2015.

"Electric vehicles have received a great deal of attention in recent months due to the launches of several high-profile vehicles," said Pike Research senior analyst Dave Hurst.

"The PEV market is already becoming a highly competitive market and over the next few years, the marketing initiatives of multiple manufacturers will help build consumer familiarity with, and drive adoption of, plug-in vehicles as a viable alternative to internal combustion engines."