Hybrids the early winners in electric-car race

Toyota FT-CH hybrid concept

Electric vehicles are one of the top stories coming from the auto show in Detroit this week. But despite the introduction of even more electric concept cars, familiar old hybrids are projected to be the dominant form of electric vehicles.

Boston Consulting Group sought to inject some reality into the electric-car buzz even before the doors opened at the North American International Auto Show with the release of a study that concluded battery cost will keep pure EVs from taking over any time soon।

BMW Concept ActiveE

Beyond early adopters and fleet owners, the demand for mass-produced electric vehicles is still anyone’s guess. “The pragmatic majority are the folks who have to be convinced that the technology is real, that charging stations are available and it’s easy to do,” Mark Perry, director of product planning for Nissan Americas told Automotive News.

Government policies to protect the environment or drive investment in new technologies play a significant role in making plug-in vehicles more attractive. A person who buys a car with the battery size of the Chevy Volt, for example, can get a $7,500 tax credit.