Plug-in Cars Save 45 Million Gallons of Gasoline Per Year
Sales of electrified vehicles are picking up steam and in doing so they’re making an impact on America’s consumption of fossil fuel.
According to a recent report by the Union of Concerned Scientists, sales of electrified vehicles including plug-in hybrids and battery electric cars continue to rise as the first quarter of 2014 comes to a close. Last year, almost 100,000 electric vehicles were sold in the United States, more than double 2012 – resulting in nationwide reduction of gasoline by more than 45 million gallons.
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Despite the increase in popularity, plug-in vehicles still accounted for just for 2.5 percent of all new vehicles sold in California last year, which is by far the most popular state for plug-in cars and is home to 46 percent of all plug-in vehicles in the U.S.
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The rest of this year is promising for the electrified vehicle market with more offerings heading to dealerships including the BMW i3, Cadillac ELR and Kia Soul EV. In the last three years, American drivers have purchased almost 170,000 plug-in vehicles, helping save 45-million gallons of gasoline per year and over $100 million in avoided fuel costs. It will also be interesting to see how the upcoming hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles such as the Hyundai Tucson fare in the marketplace.
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[Source: Union of Concerned Scientists]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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