Germans are buying more electric cars than Norwegians

LONDON: Germany leapfrogged Norway as Europe’s biggest market for electric cars, a sign consumers are warming to the technology just as Volkswagen AG and Daimler AG add batteries to their line-ups to take on Tesla Inc.

Sales of electric-chargeable vehicles surged 70% in Germany to 17,574 cars in the first quarter, nudging ahead of Norway for the first time, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. The figure includes fully-electric cars like Tesla’s Model S, as well as plug-in hybrids such as the BMW 2-Series Active Tourer.

Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW are retooling their assembly lines in response to stricter European regulations on combustion engines and fallout from the 2015 VW emissions-cheating scandal. While consumers have turned away from diesel – especially in Germany – carmakers are depending on customers to embrace electric powertrains if they are to recover the massive investments they’re making.

Across Europe, sales of electric vehicles advanced 41%, with battery-only cars up 35% and plug-in hybrids up 47%, while diesel in the EU dropped 17%.

Germany, the region’s biggest single market, has until now trailed Norway, which jump-started electric-car sales with generous subsidies. Norway is Tesla’s third-biggest market after the US and China.

Once rare in Germany, Teslas have become increasingly common on the streets of cities like Munich, alongside other fully-electric models like BMW’s i3 and Nissan Motor Co’s Leaf. — Bloomberg