September 2020 has been and gone, yet another month in one of the most tumultuous years of all our lives. While the pandemic rages on and we continue to face uncertainty head on, one thing that has remained steady is growth in the EV industry. As expected during times like this, general car sales have been torrid, but electric vehicles have not experienced the same downturn. In fact, September 2020 produced some very significant moments in EV history.
Firstly, the UK plug-in electric vehicle market share hit 10.5%, the highest ever level in “normal” (non-lockdown) trading months, up almost 3x from September 2019’s 3.7%. The overall auto market was down 4.4% from September 2019, with diesels taking a massive 38.4% hit. Furthermore, Combined sales of Plug-in hybrids and full EVs gave a total of 18.5% market share, greater than diesel (18.4%) for the first time.
Europe-wide, September has seen Europe’s 3 largest auto markets, Germany, France and the UK, each achieving over 10% plug-in market share. Aggregated, plugin electrics took 12% share of these 3 markets, an outstanding result. This is particularly impressive in Germany, where monthly EV sales reached 20,000 for the first time, an increase of 260% compared to September 2019. The take-up of electric vehicles has been slow in Germany in comparison to many other markets. However, thanks to new government incentives, registrations have picked up sharply in recent months. This clearly demonstrates the power of the government to influence demand for electric alternatives.
Adding in the even greater progress other European nations- most notably Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands- this now puts Europe on track to achieve at least 10% full-year 2020 plugin market share, and well over 1-million-unit volume. This would represent huge growth from 2019’s 3.6% result. As we try to navigate this new way of life and look towards the future, it gives us a sense of comfort that positive change is still happening and can be achieved even during times of hardship.
If you are interested in switching to electric and would like to know more about what this means for you, please get in touch. A member of our technical team would be happy to discuss this and help put a plan together for an electric future. Call us on 0141 280 8890 or drop us an email at info@britetechnicalservices.co.uk.
Additionally, visit our website evchargepoints.com to see our range of products and services, and to read historical blog posts.
