U.S. BEV And PHEV Car Sales Compared: 2019

Jan 18, 2020 at 9:15pm ET

By: Mark Kane

Roughly 74% of total plug-in electric car sales in 2019 were BEVs.

Since we already how the overall U.S. plug-in electric car sales look like in 2019, let's now see the results separately for all-electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) categories.

To increase your curiosity, we would say that for BEVs, last year was actually a positive one. In other words, the overall decline is the consequence of lower sales of PHEVs.

U.S. BEV Car Sales – 2019

The all-electric car sales noted two-quarters of decline, but the total result for 2019 was at a slightly higher level than in 2018.

Q4: 70,392 (down 22%) and 75% of all plug-ins
2019: 243,356 (up 3%) and 74% of all plug-ins

U.S. PHEV Car Sales – 2019

Plug-in hybrid car sales have not been growing for four quarters and the decline is significant. We doubt whether PHEVs will be able to catch up to BEVs in volume in 2020 or, in general, in the near future.

Q4: 23,069 (down 36%) and 25% of all plug-ins
2019: 86,173 (down 31%) and 24% of all plug-ins

U.S. BEV/PHEV Car Sales – 2019

The direct comparison of BEVs and PHEVs shows us that those are now two different worlds and one of them is not only clearly bigger than the other but also has a better outlook (new volume models announced).