To the editor: Seemingly satisfied by the spectacular however nonetheless ambiguous electrical car 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. Vitality Data Administration, primarily based on knowledge gathered from 2023 by means of the second quarter of 2024, distinguish between all-electric and hybrid car gross sales within the U.S, a revealing distinction which will curb enthusiasm like Murphy’s.
Of the 18.7% of electrical or semi-electric autos bought within the U.S. through the tracked time interval, 7.1% have been battery electrical autos, however a larger %, 9.6%, have been hybrids (with solely 2% plug-in hybrids within the combine). Crucially vital, nonetheless, is that BEV market share largely stagnated at 2023 ranges whereas hybrid gross sales skyrocketed 30.7% yr over yr.
The implication for the brief to mid time period could sign a shift in shopper habits away from buying high-priced all-electric autos to a predominant desire for getting the wise hybrid automobile, affording gas effectivity at 50-plus miles to the gallon.
Jim Valentine, Woodland Hills