(Paris) As many new non-rechargeable hybrid cars as simple diesel cars were sold in Europe during 2021, for the first time, while 100% electric cars continued their breakthrough in a less impressive way than in 2020, the manufacturers announced on Wednesday.
Posted at 12:43 p.m.
In a sluggish automotive market, back to its 1990s level, sales of electrified cars (hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric) even exceeded sales of gasoline vehicles in the fourth quarter.
Faced with the shortage of electronic chips, manufacturers have given priority to equipping their most profitable models, including electrified models. But these new engines were also caught up in the 4and quarter by the shortage of electronic chips, preventing them from continuing the unprecedented growth recorded in 2020.
Non-rechargeable hybrids + 60.5%
Over the whole of 2021, sales of non-rechargeable hybrids (with diesel or petrol main engine) continued to grow (+60.5% over one year) with 1.9 million cars sold, i.e. 19 .6% market share, tied with simple diesel.
The latter, affected by the dieselgate scandal and heavy surcharges on more polluting vehicles, saw its sales collapse by a third over the year (-31.5%) across the continent, and even by half. in the last quarter, notes the Manufacturers Association (ACEA) in a press release.
Plug-in hybrids +70.7%
Sales of plug-in hybrids, these vehicles equipped with a combustion engine and a small electric motor, also increased by 70.7%, with 867,092 vehicles sold and 8.9% market share.
“The hybrid has become the solution for manufacturers to reduce their average CO emissions.2 notes Felipe Munoz of Jato Dynamics.
All electric + 63.1%
Electric vehicle sales, for their part, continued to grow by 63.1% in the European Union, with 878,432 vehicles sold and 9.1% market share (compared to 1.9% in 2019, and 5 .4% in 2020), propelled by public aid for purchases and the increasingly wide electricity supply from manufacturers.
France and Germany, the two main markets, continued to electrify, while Sweden, Ireland and Italy saw their sales of electric vehicles double in one year.
Close to the EU, the United Kingdom saw electric sales increase by 76% over one year. In Norway, nineteen of the 20 best-selling new car models in Norway in January were electric, with an unprecedented market share of 83.7%.
“The electric market is consolidating”
“The electric market is consolidating, especially in the biggest markets,” comments Felipe Munoz. Smaller markets such as Romania and Greece have also started to electrify, with the arrival of concessions from the electric and high-end pioneer Tesla, but also more economical models from major manufacturers, he said. .
While the European Commission aims to ban the sale of combustion engine cars by 2035, most manufacturers have beefed up their offer, and their sales, of electric and hybrid cars.
The European leader Volkswagen has notably doubled its sales of battery-powered cars, between its ID4 SUV and its compact ID3. Renault sold 30% of hybrid and electric vehicles in Europe, excluding utility vehicles, compared to 17% in 2020. Toyota, for its part, sells 70% of its vehicles in hybrid version in Western Europe.
The environmental association Transport & Environment (T&E) welcomed these figures, while asking for tougher targets from the European Commission.
“This unprecedented growth is undeniably the result of European emissions targets”, which limit to 95 grams of CO2/kilometer emissions from cars, T&E’s Julia Poliscanova said in a statement. “But these regulations are becoming less difficult for manufacturers to comply with […] Emissions rules need to be more ambitious to prevent electric sales from ending up on the right lane.”