Volkswagen triples electric car sales ahead of climate rules

FRANKFURT, GERMANY » Europe’s push into electric cars is gathering speed — despite the pandemic.

Automaker Volkswagen tripled sales of battery- only cars in 2020 as its new electric compact ID.3 came on the market ahead of tough new European Union limits on auto emissions. And Germany, long a laggard in adopting electric vehicles, saw more people buy electrics in December than opted for previously dominant diesel vehicles.

Those are early signs of what will likely be an upcoming year of increasing market share for electric cars as EU regulations drive their adoption, despite the recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic that has caused the overall car market to shrink.