Report: Americans Are Trading their Hybrids and EVs for SUVs

Apr 25, 2015 02:00 PM EDT | John Nassivera

Tags Edmunds, EPA, mpg

Are low gas prices causing a temporary surge in the purchase of gas-guzzling SUVs?

According to a report by the automotive research team at Edmunds, the answer is likely yes.

Edmunds found that nearly one-fifth of hybrid and electric drivers traded their fuel-efficient cars in for sport-utility vehicles, up from 18.8 percent during the same period in 2014 and 12 percent in 2012. The trend is in line with the rebouding market share of SUVs, although Edmunds did not disclose which SUVs were the trade-in vehicles.

Gas prices are nearly $1 less per gallon across the nation this year, compared to the same time last year, according to GasBuddy. Plug-in hybrids, like the BMW i8 shown above, are growing in popularity among manufacturers' offerings, but are still selling in small numbers.

See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?

© 2024 Auto World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Get the Most Popular Autoworld Stories in a Weekly Newsletter

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics