European car sales have taken a significant hit in recent months. However, there are also risers, both in relative and absolute numbers. For example, the market share of electric cars increased again and the hybrid has surpassed diesel for the first time. In the Netherlands, sales of electric cars actually fell, according to figures from trade association ACEA.
These are hybrids without plugs. The market share of this drive form is 20.7 percent, compared to 17.6 percent for diesel. In absolute numbers, this translates to 449,506 and 381,473 copies respectively. Last quarter diesel still had 20.4 percent of the market share and hybrid had to connect with 19.3 percent. This means that hybrid is already quite close to petrol, which with 39.5 percent still takes the biggest bite out of the pie of European car sales. However, there is a thick note with these numbers: in addition to ‘real’ hybrids, mild hybrids, so petrol models with a starter/generator, are also counted as hybrids.
The market share of plug-in hybrids and battery-electric cars also increased. Sales of PHEVs rose 0.7 percent to 9.1 percent from the second quarter, but the battery electric car surpasses the PHEV by 2.3 percent to 9.8 percent.
The EV is also increasing in absolute numbers. In the third quarter, 212,582 electric cars rolled out of the showroom in the European Union. In the second quarter of this year there were still 210,298 and in the third quarter of 2020 even 135,663. As a result, fully electric driving continues to gain ground, although a market share of just under ten percent is still a large minority. Compared to the third quarter of 2020, the plug-in hybrids also record a significant increase with 42.6 percent to 197,300 units. For hybrids, the increase compared to last year at 31.5 percent is slightly less.
Decrease in EV sales in the Netherlands
While the sale of EVs is increasing in the rest of the European Union, the Netherlands is actually down in that area. In the third quarter, 13,736 EVs were registered in our country, in the third quarter of 2020 there were still 14,358. Sales of plug-in hybrids increased from 4,433 to 7,457 compared to the third quarter last year, hybrids went from 13,621 to 17,476 copies. Sales of fuel-driven cars fell quite sharply in the same period, from 53,862 to 32,501 cars. The difference is even greater for diesel: last year sales in the third quarter with 3,177 cars were not really something to write home about, this year there are only 1,468 units left.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl