Electric car sales triple in race to meet Europe CO2 rules

Enlarge / Kia says the Niro EV can fast-charge at up to 100kW. For some reason it tells chargers it can actually do 150kW, but in practice you might never see more than 77kW. Confusing, eh? (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

One in 10 new cars sold across Europe this year will be electric or plug-in hybrid, triple last year's sales levels after carmakers rolled out new models to meet emissions rules, according to projections from green policy group Transport & Environment.

The market share of mostly electric cars will rise to 15 percent next year, the group forecasts, as carmakers across the continent race to cut their CO2 levels. The projections are based on sales data for the first half of the year, as well as expected increases as manufacturers scramble to comply with tightening restrictions in 2021.

Electric car sales are booming thanks to EU emissions standards," said Clean Vehicle Director Julia Poliscanova. Next year, one in every seven cars sold in Europe will be a plug-in."

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