New models of electric vehicles (EVs) have helped industry sales double annually in Europe since they were first marketed in 2010, according to a new report released by Transport & Environment.

The top three models in terms of sales in 2013 were the Renault Zoe, the Mitsubishi Outlander and the Volvo V60 Plug-in - all new models. The report suggested that these new models are achieving greater consumer confidence which is likely to be further enhanced with the launch of the BMW i3 late last year.

 

Provisional sales figures from the European Environment Agency show that nearly 50,000 plug-in vehicles were sold in 2013, however this only represents around 0.4% of all car sales in the EU.

 

While the EU's electronic vehicle market is growing, it remains smaller than the USA and Japanese markets, while in California EVs have achieved a 4% market share, driven by a mandate requiring all manufacturers to sell plug-in vehicles.

 

The Netherlands and Norway represent success stories for the EV market, with each achieving more than 5% EV sales in 2013, largely boosted by generous fiscal incentives.

 

If trends continue, Transport & Environment estimate that sales will exceed 1 million a year by 2025 and that this steady growth in the near future is more likely than a sudden uptake in sales.

 

The report calls for a flexible sales mandate for EVs, similar to the scheme pioneered in California. Transport & Environment argue this would encourage carmakers to ensure that a minimum percentage of sales are ultra-low carbon vehicles while provide flexibility for the industry. The report proposed a mandate of 10% sales by 2025 which would be both achievable and create a pathway to decarbonise vehicles by 2050.

 

Transport & Environment also made clear that including road transport emissions under an EU-wide emissions trading scheme could be detrimental to the industry, removing the incentive for carmakers to improve efficiency or lower emissions of vehicles, shift the burden of carbon saving onto industries and have a detrimental impact on the economy.