FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) – Europe’s push for electric cars is growing, despite the pandemic.
Carmaker Volkswagen tripled battery-only vehicle sales in 2020 as its new ID.3 electric compact hit the market ahead of the European Union’s new car emission limits. And Germany, which had long been lagging behind in adopting electric vehicles, saw more people buying electricity in December than opting for the dominant diesel vehicles.
These are the first signs of what will likely be the next year of growth in the market share of electric cars as EU regulations push for their adoption, despite the recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic that has led to the reduction of the global vehicle market.
Volkswagen said Tuesday that its namesake brand sold 134,000 battery-powered cars last year, up from 45,000 in 2019.
Including hybrids, which combine an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, electrified car sales reached 212,000, up from 82,000 in 2019.
The Volkswagen ad comes as the automotive industry association in Germany reports that one in four cars sold in the country in December had an electric motor, a catch that received incentive support as part of the government stimulus package during the recession. COVID-19.
Battery-powered and hybrid cars accounted for 26.6% of sales that month, ahead of diesel cars, which had 26.2%. This is also a sign of the sharp decline in diesel following the 2015 Volkswagen scandal that involved diesel cars equipped to cheat on emissions testing.
Electric cars have so far been a small but rapidly growing portion of the European market. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, in the July-September 2020 quarter, 9.9% of cars sold were pay vehicles, compared to 3.0% the previous year. The association publishes full-year statistics on February 4th.
EU carmakers have to sell more zero-emission cars to meet the tougher average limits for carbon dioxide emissions, the main greenhouse gas to blame for climate change. These limits came into full force on 1 January. Failure to achieve a fleet average of less than 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer traveled can result in very heavy fines.
Sales have been driven by government incentives and a growing number of new models that, like ID.3, were designed exclusively as electric cars, rather than being converted from internal combustion models. Electric-only design can mean more interior space as a point of sale. The compact ID.3 will not reach the US market, where Volkswagen will offer the ID.4 electric sports utility vehicle manufactured on the same mechanical basis.
Demand has been hampered by a lack of places to charge electric cars, including people living in apartment buildings and unable to install a charging box at home. The German car association, the VDA, said there is only one publicly available charging station for every 17 electric cars.
Tesla, based in California, has been a major factor in the power rise with its Model 3 and its proprietary network of fast charging stations.
The Chinese government, the world’s largest car market, is also pressuring vehicle manufacturers to reduce emissions.
Electric vehicle uptake has been slower in the United States, where regulatory pressure has been weaker and where gasoline costs just $ 2 per gallon, depending on the region. This compares to 1.30 euros per liter of gas, or $ 6 per gallon in Germany, much of which is taxed.
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