Europe approaches half-a-million EVs on the road

Europe is heading towards reaching 500,000 EVs on the road. According to a recent report by Transport & Environment (T&E), this total should be reached by the end of the year.

In 2015, 145,000 plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicles were sold in Europe – the biggest sales increase to date. This rise, matched with what is expected to be a greater increase in 2016, will see Europe reach the half-a-million mark.

The figures show that Europe is the second largest market for electric cars in the world, behind China. Within Europe, the UK is the leader for number of plug-in hybrids and has the third largest alternative fuelled car uptake, behind the Netherlands and Norway.

"The electromobility revolution is underway and Europe is well placed to take a leading position," says Julia Hildermeier, Electromobility Officer at T&E.

"To fully grab this chance, Europe needs four important boosts from regulators: ambitious European CO2 limits for new cars in 2025 including a specific target for EV sales to stimulate competition amongst carmakers; to accelerate the roll-out of EV charging infrastructure across Europe; to ban dirty diesels from cities and tax breaks for battery electric vehicles."

However, within the UK there is no sign of the market settling or declining – efforts are only being made to grow. Only last month, Britain's Transport Minister John Hayes announced a £35 million investment to help boost the uptake of alternative-fuel cars across the UK.

Interest in low-emission motoring has increased over the years thanks to technology advancements and a drop in the price of batteries. It was found last year that the plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander was the most popular EV choice for Europeans, followed by the battery electric Renault Zoe, edging ahead of the Nissan Leaf. All three of these vehicles are part of the Green Motion fleet.

If you are interested in finding out how easy it is to convert to an electric vehicle, you can rent an EV or hybrid car with us before committing to a purchase.

As experts in low-emission rental, Green Motion has a fleet of electric and hybrid cars with staff that can help you select the right vehicle. For more information, call us today on 0333 888 4000.