European automobile manufacturers have urged the EU to "come forward with urgent relief measures" after fully electric vehicles made up just 12.5% of the total of new car registrations in the first seven months to 2024.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) called for the European Union to bring forward reviews of regulations to 2025 that had been planned for 2026 and 2027, after figures showed the continued trend of shrinking market share for battery electric cars.
New car registrations were down 18.3% in August and the battery electric (BEV) market share was down by almost a third.
In August, BEV cars accounted for 14.4% of the EU car market, down from 21% the previous year.
The low market share for electric cars "sends an extremely worrying signal", the ACEA said, with this being the fourth consecutive month of decline this year, after consistent month-on-month increases last year.
Plug-in hybrid car registrations were also marked by a sizeable 22.3% decline, while the combined share of petrol and diesel cars also dropped slightly to 44.3%, down from 45.1%.
The auto industry has invested billions in electrification to bring vehicles to market, the ACEA noted, but "the other necessary elements for this systemic shift are not in place", the industry body said, with "the rapid erosion of the EU’s competitiveness" a key factor.
“We are missing crucial conditions to reach the necessary boost in production and adoption of zero-emission vehicles: charging and hydrogen refilling infrastructure, as well as a competitive manufacturing environment, affordable green energy, purchase and tax incentives, and a secure supply of raw materials, hydrogen and batteries," it said.