EU electric car sales to pass 1m next year in industry CO2 drive
Carmakers will face huge fines if they miss new emissions target
More than 1m electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles are expected to be sold across Europe next year as carmakers ramp up output to avoid crippling fines under new emissions rules.
The figure, predicted by environmental campaign group Transport & Environment, is four times higher than sales last year, and comes on the eve of the Frankfurt Motor Show, the last major industry gathering before the new rules come into force in January.
Volkswagen, Daimler and Honda are among carmakers that will use the trade fair to showcase their latest electric vehicles, which are needed to help them avoid punitive fines that could exceed a billion euros for missing the targets.
Under the rules, carmakers must lower the average CO2 output of their fleet to 95g of CO2 per km, or risk fines.
Any carmaker that misses the target faces a fine of €95 per gramme over the target, multiplied by the number of cars sold in the EU.
A flurry of electric and hybrid cars are coming to market this year and next, as carmakers seek to avoid penalties and the environmental stigma that would come from missing them.
Just 250,000 electric of plug-in hybrid cars with a significant electric range were sold last year, and about 200,000 sold in the first half of 2019, according to T&E.
“Thanks to the EU rules, carmakers are finally preparing to start selling the more fuel efficient and electric cars the climate emergency demands,” said Julia Poliscanova, director.
“This means we are going to see good-quality, affordable electric vehicles in the next year or two.”
The industry’s efforts to lower emissions has faced setbacks as consumers have opted for high-polluting sport utility vehicles and sales of lower-polluting diesel vehicles have continued to slide.
Sales of SUVs have risen from about 7 per cent of the car market in 2006 to 36 per cent last year, according to T&E.
Companies from Volkswagen to Daimler will unveil new battery models in Frankfurt that they hope will appeal to consumers and push their emissions lower.
IHS Markit, the data provider, also expects the number of electric models available will triple by 2021, as carmakers bring new vehicles to market.
At the motor show, which starts on Tuesday, Volkswagen will show its ID3, the first battery car from the world’s largest carmaker, which uses architecture designed for electric vehicles under its new €30bn programme.
Honda will show the production version of its “Honda e” battery city car and Vauxhall will show the electric Corsa model.
Among the high-end brands, Porsche will show the Taycan, its first electric sports car, while Mercedes-Benz is expected to reveal an electric passenger van.