The third quarter of 2021 marks the overtaking of electric cars on those Diesel and petrol in Europe. Taking the data released by the new report drawn up by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), during the third quarter of 2021 electric cars reached a market share of 39,6% in Europe, against 39,5% of petrol cars and 17,6% of diesel cars, down 10 points each year. Consequence of the scandal of the fake emissions of diesel cars of the Volkswagen Group which broke out 13 years ago, also known as "dieselgate".
It is the first time that electric has surpassed fossil fuel. This result is the result of a change of course that began as early as 2020 in various European countries, for an e-mobility market that will grow at an average annual rate of +41% until 2028. A growth also favored by numerous public incentives and by some restrictions, such as the forbidden access to the streets of the city center for cars with internal combustion or diesel engines.
In detail, despite the semiconductor crisis, the petrol cars held up well. Even if sales between July and September 2021 suffered a sharp decline (-35%), with a market share that dropped from 47,6% in the same period of 2020 to 39,5% this year.
Le hybrid electric cars win the silver medal, with half a million cars sold (+ 31,5 % on an annual basis) and a 20,7% market share in the second quarter of 2021.
Diesel cars remain behind, having gone from 27,8% in 2020 to 17,6%, with 381 new registrations between July and September 2021.
At a lower step of the podium we find instead the 100% battery electric cars, with a general increase in sales in the third quarter of +56,7% in Europe. With Italy leading the ranking (+122%), followed by Germany (+63%), France (+35%) and Spain (+22%) and a market share of 9,8%, for a total of 212.500 new registrations.
In fifth place the plug-in hybrid electric cars or on tap which conquered a market share of 9,1%, with 197 new registrations (+43% on an annual basis). At European level, Italy saw the strongest growth of this type, with an increase in sales of +130,6% in the third quarter of 2021. Followed by Spain (+87,5%), France (+49,5 .37,5%) and Germany (+XNUMX%).
Finally, also the sales of natural gas vehicles (GNV) fell sharply in the third quarter (-48,8%). This result was strongly influenced by the drop in demand in Italy (-39%), the largest market for this type.
