Electric vehicle (EV) sales in the EU rose to 10pc of the total passenger car sales in the third quarter of 2020 compared to 3pc during the same quarter in 2019, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
This increase can be attributed by support measures such as purchase incentives and tax benefits introduced by many member nations of the European Uninon (EU) while the traditional car industry’s recovery began past September due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Diesel car registrations fell by 13.7pc to 766,146 units in Q3 2020 compared to Q3 2019 and contributed 27.8pc of total cars sold in the EU. Petrol cars’ contribution to total car sales in the EU decreased to below 50pc with registrations declining by 24.3pc to 1.3mn units in the third quarter from 1.7mn units in Q3 2019.
Alternatively powered vehicles represented a total of 25pc of the EU car sales in the July to September period with sales increasing by 101.4pc to 678,777 units from 337,108 units during the same quarter last year.
During Q3, within this category, registration of electrically chargeable vehicles grew by 211.6pc to 273,809 units while the plug-in hybrid vehicles demand surged by 368.1pc to 138,348 units from 29,557 units in Q3 2019. Hybrid electric vehicle sales also increased by 88.8pc to to 341,092 units in Q3 2020 compared to same period last year.