Plug-In America, a non-profit advocacy group, says that there have been 100,000 plug-in electric vehicles sold in the U.S. since the introduction of the latest generation of highway-capable plug-in vehicles just over two years ago.
“Our current estimate, based on monthly sales figures from automakers, is that the 100,000th highway-capable plug-in vehicle will be sold on May 20,” says Tom Saxton, Plug In America’s chief science officer, in a statement. “We are calling this the #PIA100K mark, and we are excited to see the continued growth of the market.”
Because this is an estimate, the exact buyer and car will likely never be known, but it’s still an important symbolic milestone.
Full-year sales for 2011 were fewer than 20,000. In 2012, that number tripled to over 53,000. And it’s currently expected that this year more than 100,000 plug-in electric vehicles will be sold in the U.S.
To celebrate the 100,000 milestone Plug In America is going to have a drawing for a free vehicle charger. The drawing is open to anyone who purchases a plug-in electric vehicle between May 15 and June 15.
Highlights related to this historic moment:
– Over a quarter-million people are exposed daily to the benefits of electric transportation
– Nissan dealerships in some markets have reported that the Leaf has outsold all other Nissan models for particular sales periods this year
– Tesla’s Model S is outselling the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the BMW 7 series and the Audi A8
– Chevy Volt drivers alone have logged over 187-million electric miles
– The plug-in vehicle market is approaching 48 percent annual growth with both Battery Electric and Plug-in Hybrid vehicles finding growing interest
– Plug-in vehicle adoption exceeds the adoption of hybrid vehicles over the same timeframe in their market developments
– The domestic EV fleet now offers over 2,000 megawatts of battery storage, which may offer significant opportunities for the future management of our electrical grid and the increasing role of intermittent renewable energy sources
– Manufacturers making EVs now include Nissan, Tesla, GM, Ford, Honda, Mitsubishi, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, and Fiat. These plug-in vehicles have received a wealth of consumer and industry awards
