Electric car sales in European Union countries exceed 20% in August

Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association showed on Wednesday that for every five new cars sold in European Union countries during the month of August, more than one was fully electric, and sales of zero-emission cars more than doubled.

The association said that fully electric models represented 21 percent of sales in European Union countries in August, recording for the first time more than a fifth of total car sales.

In the first eight months of 2023, about one million fully electric cars were sold in European Union countries.

Overall, car sales in European Union countries increased by 21 percent in August, which is usually a month that witnesses slower car sales, making it the thirteenth consecutive month of sales growth as the auto industry recovers from supply chain problems related to the Covid-19 pandemic. 19.

Sales of cars powered by internal combustion engines accounted for less than 50 percent in August. Sales of plug-in hybrid cars that operate with a motor and a rechargeable battery recorded 7.4 percent. While sales of fully hybrid cars, which have a larger battery that is charged by the engine and are not charged with electricity via a plug, amounted to 23.9 percent.

Diesel models recorded only 12.5 percent of sales. The most recent date in which sales of new diesel-powered cars increased by more than 50 percent was 2015.