Plus of 14.3 percent

E-car market growing slower than expected

An electric car being charged

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

More than ten million purely battery-powered vehicles were sold worldwide last year. This is 14.3 percent more than a year ago, but still less than expected. An increase of 28 percent had been calculated.

However, the survey method for China has since been corrected to prevent vehicles exported from there from being counted twice. China dominates the market with almost two thirds of electric cars. Growth there is well above average at 20 percent. It is followed by the USA and the UK. Germany fell from third to fourth place because the electric car market there collapsed following the abolition of the purchase premium.

Premiums play a role
Other European markets such as France, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Sweden also saw a decline. "It is currently clear that the global e-car market is still heavily dependent on external factors," said Jörn Neuhausen from consultancy Strategy&. The strong sales in China at the end of the year can also be explained by "a kind of scrappage scheme for the purchase of e-cars".

In Germany, sales from last year were shifted to the current year because manufacturers have to sell significantly more pure electric cars this year in order to comply with the stricter CO₂ regulations.