Electric-vehicle sales are continuing to decline while purchases of gas-electric hybrid vehicles remain steady, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Hybrid sales rose 43% in the first quarter of the year, according to figures released earlier this month, while EV sales essentially stalled, only rising 2.7% for the same time period. Tesla’s sales, which make up about half of the American market for EVs, also dropped, which helped contribute to the sluggish sales.
Following years of strong sales gains, EVs started to cool last fall and have not picked back up. Consumers are notably leery of charging availability and hassles, and prices remain too high for many buyers, according to dealers and survey data.
Many car companies de-emphasized their hybrid models in recent years as they funneled resources towards new EV models to satiate enthusiasm from consumers. Now, more car buyers are choosing hybrids as a fuel-efficient option that doesn’t come with the complications of switching to a fully electric car.
