The increase in sales of electric cars in Europe is led by the German market
John MACDOUGALL
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Sales of electric cars set a new record for market share in the European Union by 2022, industry figures showed on Wednesday, as the region tries to wean itself off fossil fuel cars.
According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), battery-powered electric cars will account for 12.1 percent of new car sales, up from 9.1 percent in 2021 and 1 percent in 2019. ,9 is done.
The EU has agreed to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 as part of the 27-nation bloc’s bid to build a carbon-neutral economy by 2050.
Sales of electric vehicles increased by 28 percent last year and more than 1.1 million vehicles were sold.
These increases were mainly driven by the German market, where sales accelerated at the end of the year, just before the drop in purchase bonuses.
A record four out of five new cars (79 percent) sold last year were electric in Norway, a major oil-producing country that aims to end sales of new fossil-fueled cars by 2025 — a decade ahead of schedule. European Union ban.
The Italian market was the only one to put a brake on the electric motor in 2022, where sales fell by 26.9 percent.
It was also a strong year for hybrid cars, which gained a market share of 22.6 percent.
Conventional gasoline and diesel fueled cars continue to lose ground, although they will still account for more than half of EU car sales in 2022 at 52.8 percent.
Diesel, which has been hit by heavy fines and reduced demand in manufacturers’ lineups, continues its downward spiral, with 1.5 million vehicles sold down almost 20 percent.
European automakers are investing 250 billion euros ($272 billion) in electrification, said Luca de Meo, president of ACEA and chief executive of French automaker Renault.
“The auto industry is moving fast,” he said Tuesday.
But De Meo said Europe needs more public charging stations, with installations limited to 2,000 per week in the EU, while 14,000 per week are needed to ensure the continent’s transport.
“Despite many recent announcements and developments, infrastructure development lags behind industry efforts,” De Meo said.
With their high prices, electric cars are now bought by “wealthy” families, but that should change with the generalization of electric cars, according to the head of ACEA.
When electric market leader Tesla sharply reduced its prices at the beginning of 2023, De Meo warned that getting into a price war would be counterproductive, saying: “We have to invest”.
