The Chevy Volt was the World’s Most Popular Electric Vehicle in 2012

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - March 22, 2013 - PRLog -- Local Iowa dealerships like Pat McGrath Chevyland (http://www.patmcgrathchevyland.com/section/secondary/about-us/) have something to celebrate: the success of the Chevrolet Volt. The Volt can claim the title for most popular electric vehicle in the world for 2012 with 30,900 vehicles delivered. That’s up from around 10,000 in 2011, and it beats out the Toyota Prius Plug-in, which sold 27,181 units, and the Nissan Leaf, which sold 25,435 vehicles. The Nissan was the best-selling electric vehicle in the 2011 calendar year.

Sales of hybrid and electric vehicles are anticipated to skyrocket in the next few years, with as much as an 89% increase projected for 2013 alone. That would bring the grand total of electric vehicles sold up to around a quarter of a million. The United States accounted for nearly half of the electric vehicle sales in 2012 with a 45% share, while Europe and Japan both purchased 23% of the total. Oddly, electric vehicle sales in China actually decreased, making it the only country in the world where fewer electric vehicles were sold in 2012 than 2011.

Recently, Chevrolet parent company General Motors has announced that they will be developing two separate battery technologies to power the electric cars of the future. Dan Akerson, GM CEO, said that one would offer a very impressive 200-mile range, while the other will end up with a range of around 100 miles. By 2017, GM has vowed to have half a million electric vehicles on the road. The first new car to offer electric power after the Chevy Volt will be the 2014 Chevy Spark EV (http://www.patmcgrathchevyland.com/custom/2014-Chevrolet-...).

It is expected that the widespread adoption of electric vehicles in the United States could cut the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 80% by 2050. That would mean an overall reduction of emissions of about 10%, since passenger cars account for around 17% of the total.
To find out more about exciting new electric vehicles from Chevrolet, visit Pat McGrath Chevyland. This dealership offers new Chevrolet sales, pre-owned vehicles, service, and support to Iowa drivers from their location at 1600 51st St NE in Cedar Rapids (http://www.patmcgrathchevyland.com/page/locationhours2-ma...).