"Americans Bought More EVs Last Month Than Ever Before"

"US plug-in vehicle sales reached a quarterly record for the three-month period that ended September 30, as demand improved for plug-in models such as the Tesla Model S battery-electric vehicle and the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). September also marked a record month for plug-in vehicle sales. Now imagine if gas prices were high or if all the electric vehicles available for sale in California were on dealer lots in most US states?

Americans bought more than 45,000 plug-in vehicles during the third quarter, up 60 percent from a year earlier. Almost 17,000 plug-ins were bought in September alone. In addition to the Tesla and Volt, newer models such as the BMW X5 plug-in hybrid SUV added to the total and more than offset the impact of lower demand for Bimmer's i3 electric vehicle.

The UCS notes that models such as the Fiat 500e, Chevrolet Spark EV, and VW e-Golf have little exposure outside of California. Additionally, gas prices are averaging a relatively low $2.23 a gallon, down from $2.29 a gallon a year ago, according to AAA."

Danny King reports for Autoblog October 6, 2016.