DETROIT ? More than a dozen of the 41 new vehicles launched during the press preview of the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit were hybrid, plug-in hybrid electric or all-electric vehicles.
But last year, only 20,000 full-electric or plug-in electric hybrids were sold in the United States, including 9,674 Nissan Leafs and less than 8,000 Chevrolet Volts, compared to nearly 269,000 hybrids ? roughly 2.4 percent of total U.S. auto sales.
That small market penetration begs the question of why EVs and hybrids are garnering so much hype from automakers. Specifically for Michigan, where a handful of electric vehicle battery makers have set up shop, many wonder how this tepid demand can generate the 5,000 battery-related jobs predicted by former Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
The question, many pundits contend, revolves around creating economies of scale domestically. While the auto market has garnered much of the attention so far ? with President Obama calling for one million electric or plug-in vehicles on the road by 2015 ? few say vehicles alone can drive the AES industry.
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