What Car Brand Dominated PHEV Sales Last Year, and Why Should You Care?
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, known more commonly as PHEVs, are taking over the American automotive marketplace. PHEVs give consumers the efficiency and full-electric driving capability that EVs have, without the common range anxiety found with full-electric vehicles. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles typically use a gasoline engine as a main source of power with an electric motor that assists the gasoline engine to increase fuel efficiency. These electric motors have a typical battery that is charged just like any other electric vehicle.
A great example of this efficiency is found in the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime, which can get around 54 mpg combined. On full electric power, the Prius Prime can go around 40 miles without burning a drop of gasoline. With this perfect hybrid of electric and gas-powered drivetrains, which company reigned supreme for 2022? Here is everything you need to know about the top-selling PHEV brands of last year.
What were the best-selling plug-in vehicles in 2022?
The Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID.4, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6 all shared spots in the top 20 according to Inside EVs. These statistics cover vehicle sales all around the world in diverse markets, so it is no surprise to see mainly EVs take over at the top of this plug-in vehicle list.
When it comes to top-selling plug-in hybrid vehicles in America, the best-selling model is the Jeep Wrangler 4xe according to KBB. This is due to Jeep’s ability to keep inventory on dealer lots despite supply chain issues, and Jeep’s continued popularity with American buyers.
Did any PHEVs land on the list of top-selling plug-in vehicles?
There were a good number of PHEVs on Inside EV’s list of the top-selling plug-in vehicles of 2022, however, they were all from a company you may have never heard of; BYD. BYD, which stands for “Build Your Dreams” is a car company that has been extremely influential in the worldwide automotive marketplace since 1995. This company has been so influential that Nikkei reports that they have outsold Tesla in global EV sales as of 2022.
On the list provided by Inside EVs, six of the top 10 best-selling plug-in vehicles of 2022 were produced by BYD. Four of those six vehicles are available as both full-battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The best-selling PHEV in the world is the BYD Song Plus, which sold 477,094 units in 2022.
What is the best-selling PHEV in the world?
The BYD Song Plus is the best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle in the world. This is no surprise when you figure that the Song Plus starts at an extremely affordable price point of around $25,383 MSRP in US dollars. The Song Plus has a full-electric drive mode capable of traveling around 51 miles on battery power only, with a 0 to 60 time of just 4.7 seconds.
With 308 horsepower available, the BYD Song Plus is a midsize crossover SUV that is looking to give consumers a Tesla-like experience at a fraction of the price. With PHEV and EV prices at an all-time high, is it any surprise that this 300+ horsepower crossover SUV priced around $25,000 is leading the world in PHEV sales?
Maybe someday BYD will gain a larger presence in the US and bring their Song Plus to US shores, but until then, we will have to make do with other PHEVs like the Prius Prime.
