For the first time in history! Sales of electric vehicles in Europe surpass diesel vehicles

According to the Financial Times, in December last year, sales of electric vehicles in Europe surpassed diesel vehicles for the first time, and consumers preferred subsidized, zero-emission cars to fuel-based cars affected by the Volkswagen "emission gate" scandal.

According to data compiled by independent automotive analyst Matias Schmidt, it is initially estimated that more than one-fifth of new car sales in 18 European markets, including the United Kingdom, come from electric vehicles, while diesel vehicles account for less than 19% of sales.

Eviction sales are growing steadily thanks to generous government subsidies from countries such as Germany and strict regulations introduced in 2020 that require EU manufacturers to sell low-emission vehicles.

European automakers have been fined by the European Union for prioritizing the production of more profitable models, mainly polluting SUVs, during the supply chain crisis. In order to avoid a recurrence of this problem and reduce the overall CO2 emissions of the car, European countries further boosted the sales of electric vehicles in December. Western Europe sold 176,000 electric vehicles that month, a record high, and sales were 6% higher than in December 2020. By comparison, diesel vehicles were sold at about 160,000 units last month.

Diesel sales have been gradually declining since Volkswagen admitted to installing exhaust gas cheating devices on 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide. At the time, diesel models far exceeded half of the 18 European countries surveyed.

Within 30 days of the explosion of Volkswagen's "emission gate" in September 2015, Volkswagen formulated its first ID.3. plan. Schmid said the ID.3. is Volkswagen's flagship electric car that has been on sale since its launch in 2020.

Volkswagen was the leader among electric vehicle manufacturers in western Europe last year, selling more than 310,000 electric vehicles in 2021.

Schmid added:

While many new electric models attract consumers, the ban on older diesel vehicles in some cities and the increase in diesel vehicle taxes in major markets have further negatively affected diesel vehicle sales.

In Germany, Europe's largest automotive market, the resale value of diesel vehicles is also uncertain. Germany's new coalition government has hinted at an interest in reconsidering the fuel tax credit, which is currently about 14 cents cheaper per liter of diesel than premium gasoline.