Sales of battery-electric cars overtake diesel engines for the first time in Europe, Financial Times Sunday report.
This is an important milestone, as diesel has been the default choice of European car buyers for decades. Registrations of new “electrified” vehicles — including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and hybrid battery-electric cars — have eliminated diesel engines in September 2020, but this is the first time that battery-powered autonomous vehicles have outsold all of them, the report said.
In December 2021, more than a fifth of new cars sold in 18 European markets were all-electric, while diesel cars (including diesel hybrids) made up less than 19%. sales, reported, are based on data aggregated by the Financial Times and independent auto analyst Matthias Schmidt.
2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS manufactured at the factory in Sindelfingen, Germany
The report says about 176,000 battery-powered vehicles were sold in Western Europe that month, compared with about 160,000 diesel-powered vehicles. That total is also an all-time record for electric vehicle sales in Europe and 6% higher than the equivalent figure in December 2020, according to the report.
The historical institution of diesel cars is partly due to European subsidies for diesel fuelThis has created an artificially strong market. Europe is electrifying at a slow pace, but Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal proved to be an important bottom line.
According to the report, sales of electric vehicles in Europe have increased steadily since the VW scandal, thanks to generous incentives in countries such as Germany, as well as stricter regulations by the European Union. introduced in 2020 force automakers to sell more low-emissions vehicles.
Citroën -C4
The report said sales accelerated into late 2021 thanks in part to strong fourth-quarter deliveries from Tesla, and European carmakers pushing electric vehicle sales into December to hit fleet emissions targets, the report said. These automakers are said to have prioritized more profitable internal combustion SUVs earlier this year as they responded to the supply chain crisis.
As data from industry groups and the EU highlights, Europe move at two speeds on EV adoption, however. A 2020 report shows that electric vehicle adoption moves much faster in wealthier countries — possibly including most of Western Europe from Financial Times reporting — and slower in poorer countries.
