As consumers hit the brakes on purchasing electric vehicles, hybrid production is increasing

There has been a noticeable change at the Ford F-150 plant in Dearborn, Michigan. Production manager Cortni Reeves said that on any given day, one in seven trucks is a hybrid.

“Every 53 seconds,” she said, “a truck comes off the assembly line.”

A year ago, only one in ten trucks produced was a hybrid, marking a 30% increase in hybrid production and demonstrating that hybrids are what consumers are demanding.

It’s a sharp turnaround for electric vehicles. A recent one AAA survey signals a decline in American interest in purchasing electric vehicles, with only 18% of American adults likely to buy an electric car, compared to 23% last year.

On the other hand, the research showed interest in hybrids is growing, with 31% of consumers saying they are likely to buy one. The main concerns deterring potential EV buyers are high costs, limited charging infrastructure and fear of range.

Meanwhile, hybrids, which run on both battery and petrol, saw sales rise 53% in 2023 to a record high. According to MotorTrend, a US car magazine and the Department of Energy, hybrid vehicles now account for 9% of new car sales, compared to about 7% for electric vehicles.

“There’s really no compromise for the hybrid customer,” said Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue, which makes the company’s gasoline and hybrid vehicles.

Ford recently set a new record for monthly hybrid sales and plans to quadruple production over the next five years. Frick said the company wants to meet customer demand and can do so by finding a “balanced approach to gas, hybrid and electric vehicles.”

The Biden administration’s regulations are forcing automakers to quickly electrify their vehicles as U.S. transportation is the leading source of planet-warming emissions. Over its lifespan, an electric car produces 50% less CO2 than a gas vehicle, while a hybrid reduces this by 50%. 25%, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Decarbonizing the U.S. auto fleet would take longer if consumers choose hybrids over electric vehicles.

But while electric car sales are declining, Eric Tingwall, director of testing at MotorTrend, says electric car sales are still happening but are “growing much more slowly than they were a year or two years ago.”

Tingwall believes hybrids can be the bridge to an electric future for mainstream buyers.

“The near-term future is hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric and also some petrol vehicles,” Tingwall said.