Automotive: new record for electric car sales in Europe in 2022

Towards 100%: sales of electric vehicles set a new record of market share in the European Union in 2022, even if their development has slowed down slightly, whereas in 12 years, they alone should which are new cars authorized for sale on the mainland. Battery-powered vehicles accounted for 12.1% of new car sales throughout the year, down from 9.1% in 2021, or 1.9% in 2019, according to figures released Wednesday by the European Manufacturers Association (ACEA). ).

In an auto market that has been hampered since the pandemic by logistics problems, falling to the same level as in 1993, sales of electric vehicles are up 28% compared to 2021, with more than 1.1 million vehicles sold . These sales were notably driven by the German market, where they accelerated at the end of the year, before the reduction of purchase bonuses. Electrics are also successful in Sweden or Belgium.

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In Norway, four out of five new cars (79%) are electric. The kingdom, a major oil producer, aims to phase out thermal engines for new registrations by 2025. That’s ten years ahead of the EU. The Italian market alone put the brakes on this engine in 2022 (-26.9%).

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Non-rechargeable hybrids (diesel or gasoline) also continue to conquer the market (+8.6%) and now represent 22.6% of sales, with 2,089,653 vehicles sold. Sales of plug-in hybrids, these vehicles are equipped with a combustion engine and a small rechargeable electric motor in a socket or terminal, marked for the first time, with 874,182 vehicles sold (+ 1.2%) . In total, electrified vehicles (hybrid and 100% electric) have exceeded gasoline car sales since the end of 2021: they represent 36.4% of sales in the year 2022 (-12.8%, with almost 3.3 million vehicles sold).

still dear

Diesel, affected by the dieselgate scandal, heavy sanctions and an offer that shrinks the range of manufacturers, continues its downward slope (-19.7%), with 1.5 million vehicles sold. Disfection for diesel is particularly marked in France and Belgium. Faced with the planned European ban on thermals, most manufacturers have begun to increase their offer of electric and hybrid cars.

The car, the main form of transport for Europeans, represents just under 15% of CO2 emissions in the EU. “We are moving fast, unfortunately faster than other sectors. This transition can not only concern the automotive sector”, underlined Tuesday the director general of Renault and new president of ACEA , Luca de Meo, in a meeting on Tuesday. press conference in Brussels.

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He highlighted the need for charging stations, whose installations are limited to 2,000 per week in the EU, against the 14,000 required by industry, and with strong disparities depending on the country. European automakers are investing 250 billion euros in their electrification, De Meo pointed out. With their high prices, electric cars are currently bought by “rich” households, but this should change in general with electric cars, according to the president of ACEA.

If the leader of the electric market, Tesla, sharply lowers its prices at the beginning of 2023, neither Renault nor Volkswagen wants to enter a price war in this juicy sector. “At the end of the day, everyone is trying to protect their margins. Waging a price war while we are launching operations is not the best thing that can happen in the market. We have to invest,” said De Meo.