Last Year (2016) Record 750,000 Sold
The International Energy Agency, which tallies the number of electric vehicles on roads around the world, reported recently that after a year of strong growth, the total number of electric cars has passed two million. The organization’s Global EV Outlook 2017 publication said the number went up 50 percent from 2015 to 2016, when 750,000 pure electrics and plug-in hybrids were sold.
In addition to the cars, the report noted that in 2016 there were 200 million electric two-wheelers and 345,000 electric buses, mostly in China. Government policies remain the main driver for EV sales, which may lead to volatility in the future, although more electric models are being introduced.
The top countries for electric car sales by volume are as follows:
- China
- United States
- Norway
- United Kingdom
- France
- Japan
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Sweden
Of these, six have reached one percent of the overall market for electric cars—China, Norway, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands and Sweden. China, the United States and Europe are the dominant markets for EVs, accounting for 90 percent of all sold.
China remains the largest single market for EVs, taking approximately 40 percent of the total market in 2016. Looked at from another lens, that of the EV market share compared to the overall market, Norway is the clear leader. Electric cars took 39 percent of the relatively small car market in that country. Worldwide, electric vehicle made up only 0.2 percent of total passenger light-duty vehicles, according to the report.
The report also noted that EV infrastructure is only slightly ahead of vehicle deployment with 2.3 million electric car charging pointing worldwide. However, when private charging stations are removed, the number of cars outnumbers private charging locations by more than six to one.
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