Hybrid & Electric vehicle sales charge past 1% milestone in 2022

New Hybrid & Electric Passenger vehicle sales (which includes Traditional Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid and Battery Electric vehicles) charged to 4 668 in 2022, 421% up on 2021, which in turn had grown 177% from 2020.

The sales of Hybrid and Electric in 2022 also topped 1% of new Passenger sales for the first time. According to naamsa, the full Passenger market share for these vehicles was 1.3% in 2022.

January to December – Hybrid & Electric Vehicle share of Passenger sales

Sales for Traditional Hybrid Vehicles (HEVs, which include Lexus UX, Haval H6 & Toyota Corolla Cross) made up 87% (4 050) of all units sold in 2022. Moreover, sales for HEVs in 2022 proved to be significantly up on those in 2021, 546% to be precise, whilst 2021 was 305% ahead of 2020.

Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEVs, which include Land Rover Defender, Ferrari SF90 & Volvo XC60) continued to be a niche product in the domestic market, contributing just 3% to the overall sales for this segment. This meant that PHEV sales for 2022 amounted to 122 units, which was 139% greater than 2021.

Full Electric Vehicles (BEVs, which include BMW X3, Mini Hatch & Volvo XC40) accounted for 11% of all Hybrid & Electric Vehicle sales in 2022. 496 BEVs were sold in South Africa in 2022, which was 128% more than the 218 units sold in 2021.

Hybrid & Electric Vehicle sales – 2018 to 2022

Looking ahead at the market in 2023, we expect further progress as the global markets shift towards greener engine alternatives. This should lead to growth in sales volumes of at least 50% for the Hybrid & Electric segment.

It is also interesting to note that the Medium Commercial Market saw single digit sales in 2022 of BEV and Compressed Natural Gas vehicles. There is no denying that market watchers will be keeping an eye on whether this will trend into 2023.