Have you noticed more cars that run on both gas and electricity on the roads lately? You are absolutely right to notice this change, and new data from ANI shows this trend is becoming much stronger across America.
What These Numbers Really Mean for Car Buyers
According to research from Wards Intelligence analysts and US Energy Information Administration researchers, something very interesting is happening in the car market during early 2025 compared to the same time last year.
- Hybrid vehicle popularity surged dramatically – These cars that combine gas engines with electric motors jumped from 18% to 22% of all regular car sales, which means one in every five cars sold now uses this dual technology
- Pure electric vehicles stayed steady – While many expected battery-only cars to keep growing rapidly, their market share remained surprisingly stable instead of increasing
- Luxury car buyers changed their minds – The expensive car market shrank significantly to just 14% of all sales, hitting its lowest point since mid-2020
The Luxury Car Story Gets Complicated
Here is where things get really interesting for understanding this market shift. Electric vehicles used to dominate luxury car sales, representing over one-third of expensive cars in 2023-2024, but now they account for only 23% of luxury sales.
The biggest change happened when Tesla moved its popular Model 3 car out of the luxury category in late 2024. This reclassification helps explain why luxury market numbers dropped so dramatically.
How We Know These Facts Are Accurate
You might wonder how experts track these complicated market changes so precisely. Wards Intelligence uses sophisticated data tools that collect information from extensive databases going back to 1970 for American car sales.
Their Data Query tool creates detailed reports showing exactly how many cars each company sells by model and type across the United States, Canada, and Mexico markets. The University of Michigan’s Kresge Library confirms that Wards Intelligence provides reliable monthly sales, production, and inventory data for North America.
This comprehensive tracking system even includes future predictions through their “SDV Market Tracker” report, which forecasts software-defined vehicle sales over twelve years ahead.
