Electric cars’ sales rise in Europe
PARIS: Electric cars -- key to reducing emissions and meeting climate change goals -- have boosted their market share in Europe, data showed on Friday, as the region prepares to abandon petrol and diesel.
Batery electric vehicles more than doubled their share of new car sales in Europe in the second quarter, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) which groups together major car firms.
All-electric vehicles accounted for 7.5 per cent of new car sales in Europe in the three months from April through June, against 3.5 per cent during that period last year.
In absolute terms, sales of batery electric vehicles more than tripled across Europe to reach 210,298 cars.
The ACEA said there were substantial gains in the region’s top four markets, led by sales more than quadrupling in Spain and Germany.
The publication of the data comes a week ater the European Commission unveiled plans for what amounts to an effective ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2035.
It believes such a move is necessary for Europe to meet its goal of becoming carbon neutral by mid-century and meet its goals under the 2015 Paris accord that aims to limit the global rise in temperatures. The ACEA also found sales jumped of different types of hybrid vehicles, which are seen by some as a transitional technology as they can reduce emissions from standard petrol or diesel vehicles.
“Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVS) had an even more impressive second quarter of 2021, with registrations jumping by 255.8 per cent to 235,730 units,” said the ACEA. That took their market share to 8.4 per cent.
Sales of hybrids which cannot be recharged from power mains also more than tripled to 541,162 vehicles, remaining the largest category of alternatively-powered cars with a 19.3 per cent market share.