Analysts Say Hybrids Will Outsell Pure Electrics

A story on the website hybridcars.com predicts that hybrid vehicles will account for 7.1% of vehicles sold by 2020, while pure EVs will amount to just 2%.

The story, which quotes a study from Tokyo-based Macquarie Securities, says that alternative vehicles will account for 12.0% of total drivetrains. “Our assumption that sales of hybrid electric vehicles will outpace those of pure EVs is more favorable for Toyota and Honda than Nissnan,” noted Clive Wiggins, an analyst for Macquarie.

Toyota has said it will market a plug-in version of its enormously popular Prius in 2012, while Nissan has announced that its battery-powered Leaf EV will debut in 2010.