Electrified vehicles becoming more popular in US, survey says

Tesla and Hyundai electric vehicles (EVs) charge at EV charging stations inside a parking garage owned by the City of Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., March 23, 2023. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File photo

Electrified vehicles including hybrids and fully electric are becoming more desirable than their gasoline counterparts, influential U.S. magazine Consumer Reports said on Tuesday, while adding seven of them to its top-ten picks for 2024.

Four of Toyota’s electrified vehicles made it to the list, including the Prius and a hybrid version of its popular Camry sedan. Tesla’s Model Y, Ford Maverick Hybrid pickup truck and BMW’s X5 PHEV also made it on the list.

The company said electrified vehicles are becoming more popular after accounting for 16.3 percent of all light-duty vehicle sales in the United States last year.

READ: One in five cars sold this year will be electric – IEA

The report added that plug-in hybrids (PHEV), which bridge the gap between a regular hybrid and an EV, are gaining popularity, as sales for PHEVs grew 60 percent last year.

“For many drivers, PHEVs will save you money over the long run when compared with a gas, hybrid, or electric vehicle,” said Jake Fisher, CR’s senior director of automotive testing.

European automaker BMW retained its top spot in the Consumer Reports’ 2024 brand report card, which ranked 34 brands based on their overall scores.

The overall score is a combination of CR’s road-test scores, predicted reliability, owner satisfaction data, and safety for all of the tested models.

Among the U.S. domestic auto brands, General Motors was ranked highest, with Buick at 13th followed by Ford and Tesla at 17th and 18th, respectively.

Rivian and GMC were the only two U.S.-based brands to be placed among the bottom five in the report.