Fact #823: June 2, 2014 Hybrid Vehicles use more Battery Packs but Plug-in Vehicles use More Battery Capacity

Of the battery packs used for electrified vehicle powertrains in model year 2013, the greatest number went into conventional hybrid vehicles which use battery packs that average about 1.3 kilowatt-hours (kWh). However, far greater battery capacity was installed in plug-in vehicles. Although plug-in vehicles sell in much lower volume, their battery packs are much larger with capacities as high as 85 kWh – a battery offering for the Tesla Model S.

Number of Batteries Sold and Battery Capacity Sold for Model Year 2013

Sources: Estimated using hybrid and plug-in sales data along with information on battery suppliers. Vehicle Sales Data – Provided by Yan (Joann) Zhou, Argonne National Laboratory.

Supporting Information

Return to 2014 Facts of the Week