Sales of EVs doubled globally last year

Last year, the number of battery-powered cars sold worldwide doubled to more than 4.2 million, following a surge in demand in China, Europe and North America.

According to JATO figures, the uplift in sales saw the global market share of EVs double from 3.1 per cent in 2020 to 6.2 per cent in 2021.

In Europe, the big beneficiaries were the Volkswagen Group, Stellantis and Tesla, with analysts attributing government incentives and increasing consumer awareness of the benefits of pure-electric vehicles driving demand.

JATO said the ongoing global semi-conductor shortage actually aided the cause of EVs, with some car-makers reducing the number of petrol and diesel models they were producing to favour higher-cost electric vehicles.

The biggest global winner for pure-electric car sales was Tesla, which accounts for an incredible 21 per cent of all battery-electric sales.

The global market share of EVs could have been even greater in 2021, says JATO, if consumer demand in the US for SUVs and trucks had not continued to grow.

However, the current petrol price hikes could finally prove the motivation for mass adoption of EVs in North America this year.

Back in 2019, just 1.8 per cent of all cars sold globally were battery-powered.

In Australia, 17,243 electric cars were sold last year, the vast majority of them (12,094) being Tesla Model 3 EVs. That handed EVs a 1.7 per cent share of the total market (excluding heavy commercial vehicles).

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