Electric Vehicles (EVs) have topped sales in the month of August in Europe for the first time ever.
According to the data of 26 European markets, new car registrations slowed down this August, with a decline of 18%. This marks the lowest recorded volume in August since 2014. However, this decline did not offset the growth registered during the second quarter of 2021. Year-to-date volume remains higher than last year, with 8,095,419 registered units compared with 7,192,839 registered between January and August last year.
Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at JATO Dynamics commented on the numbers for August: “The chip shortage has been a major setback for OEMs still grappling with the effects of the pandemic. Production issues and delays in the delivery of new cars have been damaging to sales, and the lack of availability at dealerships is forcing many consumers to either look for used cars or simply delay their purchase. In usual circumstances, consumers may expect to wait lots of months for a new Ferrari, but they are now experiencing the same delay for regular models.”
EVs remain the only drivers of growth.
Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid cars continues to grow. A sharp uptick in demand last month saw these vehicles post their second highest ever monthly market share at 21%.
“Although deals and incentives have played a significant part in boosting demand, we have seen a fundamental shift in buying habits as more appealing models have entered the market and consumers have become aware of the benefits attached to EVs,” Munoz concluded.
In August, EVs and plug-in hybrids outsold diesel vehicles. During the same period of time in 2020, the volume of EVs was 158,300 units less than diesel car registrations. But, last month these EVs outsold diesel vehicles by 10,100 units.
Demand was particularly strong for the electric versions of the Fiat 500, Peugeot 208, Hyundai Kona, Opel Corsa and Kia Niro, in addition to the outstanding results of the Volkswagen ID.3 – Europe’s top-selling EV during the month. The Dacia Sandero led the sales charts.