Over 17 mn hybrid electric cars to ply by 2020: Study
09 Mar 2016
A study projects that that over 17 million hybrid electric cars would be on the roads by 2020 as "range anxiety" lessened.
The latest figure by Juniper Research marks a significant increase over the 12 million forecast last year, thanks to newer models that are designed to go further on a single charge and the ongoing development of public charging infrastructure models, according to the report.
The increase in forecast is due to newer models that are designed to go further on a single charge and the ongoing development of public charging infrastructure models.
The research also ranked the top five electric car manufacturers scoring them on attributes including vehicle range, sales, infrastructure implementation, time spent on development and deployment and future innovation.
Juniper Research listed the top five manufacturers as follows:
- Tesla
- BMW
- Nissan
- Chevrolet
- Ford
Meanwhile, though gas prices are ruling lower than in the past, it had not dented the appeal of hybrid and electric cars which continue to enjoy a strong market. However, many consumers continued to stay away from green cars for several reasons.
One major concern consumers had had was that hybridised or electrified vehicle might not give them the range they needed for the daily commute, for road trips, or for other purposes.
However, range anxiety was steadily becoming less of an inhibiting factor and hence the forecast.
With cars like the Tesla Model S designed to go longer on a single charge, and with more public charging stations being put up, the range factor seemed to matter less to consumers.
The research also stressed that the right tools needed to be used in keeping the public informed about the benefits of electric vehicles.
According to commentators, the more positive forecast was due to newer models designed to go further on a single charge and the ongoing development of public charging infrastructure models.
