Hybrid powertrains to be more widely adopted worldwide.
Sean Welch -
CleanMPG - November 17, 2009
Hybrid electric vehicles represent a growing percentage of total vehicle purchases by corporate and government fleets around the world, as fleet managers strive to reduce both the costs and the carbon footprints of their cars, vans, buses, and trucks. According to a recent report from Pike Research, cumulative sales of hybrid vehicles in the fleet sector will total nearly 4 million worldwide between 2009 and 2015. The cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts that hybrid fleet sales will increase from 300,000 in 2009 to more than 830,000 in 2015.
“The biggest growth categories for fleet hybrids are medium/heavy duty trucks and buses,” says managing director Clint Wheelock. “Manufacturers are beginning to turn their attention beyond light duty vehicles to the efficiency opportunities for hybrid drive in heavy trucks. For example, in North America nearly 10% of buses sold in 2015 will be hybrids.”
Wheelock adds that North America will be the leading region in terms of hybrid fleet penetration, with hybrids reaching 8% of all fleet sales in the next five years. Early adopters will include government, university, and utility company fleets. Asia Pacific will be the leader in terms of unit volumes by that time, reaching 420,000 fleet hybrids sold per year, though the hybrid penetration will be somewhat lower than North America’s.
Pike Research’s study, “Hybrid Electric Vehicles for Fleet Markets”, analyzes the opportunities and challenges for HEVs and PHEVs in fleet markets around the world, including light cars and trucks as well as the medium/heavy duty truck segments. The study examines global growth drivers and business case considerations for fleet managers, and includes detailed 7-year market forecasts as well as profiles for key industry players. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s
website.
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