- All-electric vehicle registrations in the European Union were down for the fourth consecutive month in August.
- All powertrain types saw declines, except traditional hybrids which went up slightly.
No matter how much we try to shine a positive light on EVs around here, there’s no denying that electric car makers are having a rough time in the European Union. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), EV registrations went down 43.9% in August compared to the same period last year.
Last month, 92,627 EVs were registered in the EU, 72,577 fewer than in August 2023. All-electric vehicles now account for 14.4% of the EU car market, down from 21% the previous year–the fourth consecutive month of decline this year, as per ACEA.
Year-to-date, EV volumes in the EU dropped to 12.6% from 13.9% last year. But the story goes further than just all-electric cars.
ACEA, which includes 15 major European-based car, van, truck and bus makers, said that August was a tough month for all powertrain types except for one: traditional hybrids. Plug-in hybrids saw a decrease in registrations of 22.3% last month. Gas-powered cars were down 17.1% and diesel burners dropped 26.4%.
Meanwhile, hybrid-electric cars went up by 6.6% to 201,552 units–double the registration volume of all-electric vehicles. With these numbers in sight, it’s easy to see why some automakers chose to rethink their EV investments and increase their focus on hybrids–it’s all about sales numbers.
Overall, the EU car market saw a sharp decrease of 18.3% in August 2024, with Germany, Italy and France recording double-digit losses, while the Spanish market declined by 6.5%. Year-to-date, new car registrations increased by 1.4%.
All things considered, ACEA says that urgent relief measures are needed before new CO2 targets for cars and vans come into effect next year. Here’s what the ACEA Board had to say about the not-so-rosy registration data:
We are missing crucial conditions to reach the necessary boost in production and adoption of zero-emission vehicles: charging and hydrogen refilling infrastructure, as well as a competitive manufacturing environment, affordable green energy, purchase and tax incentives, and a secure supply of raw materials, hydrogen and batteries. Economic growth, consumer acceptance, and trust in infrastructure have not developed sufficiently either.
The association added that European automakers face multi-billion-euro fines that could otherwise be invested in zero-emissions vehicles if they cannot meet the upcoming CO2 emission reduction targets. Until the end of this year, new cars sold in the EU must not exceed a fleet-wide level of 95 grams of CO2/kilometer on the antiquated NEDC procedure, while vans must not exceed 147 g CO2/km. From 2025 to 2030, cars must slot below 93.5 g CO/km, while the limit for vans goes up to 153.9 g CO/km–however, these limits are based on the newer and stricter WLTP testing. These numbers will be even lower from 2030 and the goal is to have 0 g CO2/km starting in 2035 for new cars and vans sold in the EU.
