Electric vehicle (EV) sales in the EU have seen continued growth this year, with the notable exception of Germany, according to new data from Transport & Environment (T&E), a clean transport NGO.
In the first half of 2024, battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales in the EU, excluding Germany, increased by an average of 9.4% compared to the same period in 2023. Including Germany, however, the overall growth in BEV sales across the EU was a modest 1.3%.
The sharp decline in Germany’s BEV sales, down 16.4% in the first half of 2024, is attributed to the abrupt removal of purchase subsidies. T&E emphasised the importance of a stable and supportive regulatory environment to prevent stagnation and secure investment.
T&E urged German lawmakers to adopt policies similar to Belgium’s, which offers attractive depreciation rates for electric cars and phases out depreciation for combustion engines. Consequently, BEV sales in Belgium surged by 48% in the same period.
Lucien Mathieu, T&E’s cars director, said: “Germany is the sick man of Europe when it comes to electric cars. Meanwhile, markets which have strong, predictable incentives for EV adoption are reaping the rewards. Germany’s CDU lawmakers in Brussels should stop trying to weaken the EU’s 2035 target and instead actually promote electric vehicles.”
Supportive regulatory environments have bolstered EV sales in several markets during the first half of 2024:
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By GlobalData
- France: The social leasing scheme providing affordable electric cars to low-income households led to a 14.9% increase in BEV sales.
- Italy: BEV sales rose by 7.0%, with a peak in June 2024 following the launch of new EV incentives.
- Belgium: The company car segment drove a 47.8% increase in BEV sales.
- UK: The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate resulted in a 9.2% increase in BEV sales.
While the number of BEV sales in the EU remained stable, the average BEV market share slightly decreased to 12.5% from 12.9% in H1 2023. Excluding Germany, the BEV market share in the rest of the EU increased to 12.5% from 12.0% over the same period.
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