Skip to main content

Increase in EU alternative fuel vehicle registrations

Total alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) registrations in the EU in the third quarter of 2015 increased by 13.4 per cent, reaching 127,661 units. Of these, electric vehicle (EV) registrations showed a substantial increase of 62.2 per cent, rising from 17,488 units in the third quarter of 2014 to 28,360 units in the third quarter of 2015.
October 30, 2015 Read time: 1 min

Total alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) registrations in the EU in the third quarter of 2015 increased by 13.4 per cent, reaching 127,661 units. Of these, electric vehicle (EV) registrations showed a substantial increase of 62.2 per cent, rising from 17,488 units in the third quarter of 2014 to 28,360 units in the third quarter of 2015.

Demand for new hybrid vehicles (HEV) also grew significantly by 34.7 per cent, totalling 53,183 units. On the other hand, registrations of new passenger cars powered by propane or natural gas showed a decline of 17.1 per cent in the third quarter, totalling 46,118.

Looking at the EU’s major markets, Spain saw the largest increase of AFVs registered over the third quarter, followed by the Netherlands, France and the UK. While growth in Spain was sustained across all AFV categories, growth in the Netherlands, France and the UK was totally driven by electric and hybrid electric vehicle markets.

Among the EU and EFTA countries, Norway registered the largest number of electrically chargeable vehicles over the period, totalling 7,823 units

Related Content

  • The UK’s busiest crossing adopts free flow charging
    April 30, 2015
    Colin Sowman looks at the transition to free-flow charging on the Dartford Crossing, a notorious congestion blackspot on the UK motorway network. The Dartford Crossing, where London’s orbital M25 motorway crosses the lower reaches of the River Thames 32km (20 miles) to the east of Central London, has long been a major source of congestion. Now, to alleviate the congestion caused by some 50 million crossings per year, the Highways Agency has adopted a free-flow charging system - but the Crossing’s location a
  • Observing driver behaviour in real traffic condition
    March 16, 2016
    The EU’s UDRIVE project will investigate driver behaviour in terms of road safety and the decarbonisation of road transport, as Nicole van Nes and Silvia Curbelo explain. There were nearly 25,700 fatalities on European Union (EU) roads in 2014 or, to look it another way, roughly 70 people are killed in traffic accidents on European roads every day - and many more are injured. Around 22% of the fatalities are pedestrians, 15% will be motorcycle riders and 8% cyclists. So despite the improvements in road safe
  • Smoothing out city freight movements
    May 28, 2014
    David Crawford welcomes a national first. Urban freight movements, while commercially and socially vital, are a growing logistical headache for planners and people alike. Figures from France’s Lyon Laboratory of Transport Economics indicate that goods transport in major urban areas accounts for: 20% of traffic; 35% of CO2 emissions made by all urban trips; and 50% of the diesel used; while final km delivery runs account for 20% of the total cost of the transport chain.
  • EU funds cross-border driving of electric vehicles
    November 19, 2014
    The EU's TEN-T Programme is to invest over US$4.4 million in studies and pilot deployment of 115 high power re-charging points on Central European roads, to enable long-distance driving of electric vehicles and promote sustainable transport modes. The EU says Europe needs to adapt the road infrastructure to meet consumers' e-mobility requirements as the number of cleaner and more efficient vehicles, including electric ones, is increasing. One priority is to enable efficient long distance driving on an i