One in five new cars in the EU is only electric
According to the industry association ACEA, one in five new cars in the European Union is now an electric car. A total of around 200,000 of these vehicles were registered for the first time in May, 42.9 percent more than a year ago, the association announced on Tuesday. The ACEA attributed this to government purchase programs, as the financial service Reuters reports. In addition, the high fuel prices resulting from the Iran war are also likely to play a role. The most popular type of drive continues to be hybrids with a market share of 37.8 percent.
Overall, 3.2 percent more cars were newly registered in May. Since the beginning of the year, the increase has totaled four percent. While Germany, Spain and Italy achieved growth, fewer cars were sold in Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and France than a year ago.
Among the manufacturers, Chinese suppliers such as BYD, SAIC, Chery and Leapmotor in particular are recording strong growth. They were able to increase their sales more than sixfold in the first five months. The largest Chinese manufacturer BYD now has a market share of 2.1 percent and is therefore noticeably ahead of Tesla. Of the major European manufacturers, Volkswagen was able to increase its sales, but the increase of 1.5 percent was not enough to maintain its market share. The Opel parent company Stellantis gained 5.7 percent, while Renault, Toyota and Hyundai lost ground.
