NEW YORK -

Moody’s Investors Service said accelerating sales of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) — include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), hybrid electric vehicles and alternatively-powered electric vehicles — will shift portfolio compositions and credit fundamentals across auto-related sectors around the globe.

Analysts are particularly interested in BEVs because of the high cost to manufacture and retool batteries. Moody’s Investors Service acknowledged it will be “some time” before the segment generates adequate returns for OEM.

Captives such as Ford Motor Credit, Volkswagen Financial, Toyota Credit and General Motors Financial will remain vital to sales of vehicles, according to Moody’s vice president Inna Bodeck.

“While we expect their parent manufacturers will continue to provide support the captives will widen their access to broader funding sources,” Bodeck said in a news release.

Moody’s added that as shifting consumer preferences and regulatory incentives drive up AFVs’ penetration in global markets, there will be a related increase in exposure to vehicle value risks for securitizations backed by auto leases and retail installment contracts.

“The global auto finance sector faces heightened but manageable risks in the surge of alternative fuel vehicles,” Moody’s said.