Hybrid car sales to reach 3.75 million units by 2020

Global sales of hybrid motor vehicles will see a 7.6-fold jump to 3.75 million units during the 12-year period to 2020, a Japanese research institute said. But those of electric vehicles will be limited to 135,000 units even in 2020, as the distance the vehicles can travel per recharge is relatively limited and construction of a necessary network of recharging facilities is unlikely to make substantial progress, Fuji Keizai Co. said. Breaking down the hybrids’ sales projection for 2020 by region, the institute forecasts that sales in North America will come to 1.85 million units, six times higher than in 2008, while Japanese sales will amount to 800,000 units, up sevenfold from 2008. Since Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. are funneling development resources into efforts to offer affordable hybrids, price differences between hybrids and gasoline engine vehicles will likely shrink, the institute said. Breaking down the projected 2020 global EV sales by automaker, the institute forecast that Japanese sales will come to 80,000 units, with North American and European sales respectively amounting to 20,000 units and 30,000 units respectively. (May 8, 2009)