To the editor: Seemingly satisfied by the spectacular however nonetheless ambiguous electrical automobile successes in America and worldwide, visitor contributor Mike Murphy lists numerous options for points that hinder his nice expectations for an imminent electrical, clear automobile future in California (“California can repair Trump’s EV mistake,” July 17). However statistics from the U.S. Power Info Administration, primarily based on information gathered from 2023 by way of the second quarter of 2024, distinguish between all-electric and hybrid automobile gross sales within the U.S, a revealing distinction that will curb enthusiasm like Murphy’s.
Of the 18.7% of electrical or semi-electric automobiles offered within the U.S. in the course of the tracked time interval, 7.1% had been battery electrical automobiles, however a higher %, 9.6%, had been hybrids (with solely 2% plug-in hybrids within the combine). Crucially vital, nevertheless, is that BEV market share largely stagnated at 2023 ranges whereas hybrid gross sales skyrocketed 30.7% 12 months over 12 months.
The implication for the brief to mid time period could sign a shift in shopper habits away from buying high-priced all-electric automobiles to a predominant desire for getting the smart hybrid automobile, affording gas effectivity at 50-plus miles to the gallon.
Jim Valentine, Woodland Hills
