Global sales of micro-hybrid cars – those that use stop-start systems and/or regenerative braking applications – are forecast to grow ten-fold over the next five years from 3.4m units today to 34m, according to the US technology consulting firm Lux Research.
The company estimates that micro-hybrids will account for nearly two-thirds of all car sales in Europe – today’s biggest market for micro-hybrids – and about one-third of global demand.
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“Micro-hybrids’ more modest use of electricity has led some purists to dismiss them as a suitable alternative to gas-powered cars,” said Jacob Grose, senior analyst at Lux Research. “Yet they represent the most cost-effective route to achieving regulatory carbon emission and mileage goals. We expect that, by the middle of this decade, 37 per cent of the new passenger vehicles sold throughout the world will be micro-hybrids.”
Lux says micro-hybrid system sales in the US will grow from almost nothing to more than 4.6m units by 2015, mainly when stop-start systems for vehicles with automatic transmissions are introduced. Annual volume in China and Japan is forecast to climb from 300,000 units each today to 9.5m and 3.8m units.
