Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) represented around 10% of the global market last year for the first time, it has emerged.
Global sales of such vehicles came in at around 7.8 million units, 68% higher than in 2021, according to research reportedly from LMC Automotive and EV-Volumes.com, which track automotive sales.
Strong growth in demand for EVs was seen in Europe and China.
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According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Ralf Brandstätter, head of Volkswagen AG’s China business, told reporters last week that EVs would continue expanding fast and that China could soon reach a point where sales of conventional vehicles begin to permanently decline.
"Last year, every fourth vehicle we sold in China was a plug-in, and this year it will be every third auto," he was reported as saying.
"We haven’t reached the tipping point yet, but we’re expecting to get there between 2025 and 2030."
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