Plug In America: 500,000 Plug-In Electric Vehicles Have Been Sold In The US To Date

More than 500,000 plug-in electric vehicles have now been sold in the US, according to the nonprofit Plug In America.

The announcement, which was made ahead of the ongoing (through the 18th), 6th-annual National Drive Electric Week, means that in “just” 6 or so years, the half-million mark has been reached.

Not bad, but I am looking forward to seeing the Chevy Bolt and the Tesla Model 3 hopefully send that number way up. With its official EPA range estimate of 238 miles per full charge, the Chevy Bolt is quite a compelling car, despite its still somewhat high price tag.

It should be remembered, though, that used Chevy Bolts will probably start hitting the second-hand market in “only” 3–4 years, so those interested in buying one but who can’t quite afford the ~$37,500 price tag (before tax credits and rebates) will still have the option of owning one. It’ll be interesting to see what second-hand prices are like. One would guess that the 60 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack will hold up pretty well, and going by the precedent set by the Chevy Volt, the Bolt will probably be very well made and durable.

With regard to the recent milestone, the Executive Director of Plug In America, Joel Levin, commented: “This major milestone shows how much consumers love these cars. Ask anyone who drives one and you’ll hear how much they appreciate the smooth, powerful ride and how they don’t miss buying gas or getting oil changes.”

More information on the ongoing National (US) Drive Electric Week can be found here.

Photo by Cynthia Shahan, commencing CleanTechnica’s Nissan LEAF long-term review