2023-04-20 00:33:50
Passenger car registrations in Europe reached 3.23 million units in the first quarter of the year, 17.5% more than in the same period last year, according to ACEA. 1.22 million gasoline units were sold, 18.2% more (year-on-year), and 423,939 diesel cars, 0.4% less than in the same period of the previous year.
As for 100% electric cars, a total of 433,298 units were sold in the first three months of the year, with an increase of 33.2% . In the month of March, 220,757 vehicles of this type were delivered in Europe, 43.2% more.
But the figures are not so good for plug-in hybrids, the big losers so far this year, since 228,068 plug-in hybrid cars and SUVs were sold, that is, 2.7% less than in the same period of 2022. In March, 99,073 units were registered, 5.4% more (year-on-year).
With these figures, gasoline cars achieved a market share of 37.8% in Europe in the first three months of the year, while hybrids had a relative weight of 26.1%, diesel 13.1%, 100% electric 13.4%, plug-in hybrids 7% and The remaining 2.6% corresponded to “other fuels”.
The price of the most electrified cars is behind the resistance in the market for both diesel and gasoline cars, since it is the main purchasing factor for most Europeans.
The level of average income of workers and wages hinder the penetration of electric vehicles in the European Union (EU), due to the fact that this type of automobile is not accessible to a large part of the population. It is the conclusion of the European Association of Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA), an organization that believes that across Europe “the lack of incentives for consumers to buy cleaner and greener vehicles is hampering the huge potential of the European electric car market.”
The lack of favorable conditionsincluding access to charging infrastructure, also makes market share disparities between EU member states and regions visible.
The organization correlates the average income in 2021 of each EU country with the market share of electrified vehicles (100% electric and plug-in hybrids). In their analysis, they show that, despite the fact that this type of car represented 21.6% of registrations in 2022, in more than half of the Member States penetration is 9% or less.
electric cars represent less than 9% of the market share in more than half of the EU member states. These countries are mainly concentrated in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, where the average net income is €13,000. By contrast, the highest proportions (30% and above) are found in only five Northern and Western European countries where net income exceeds €32,000.
Countries with the lowest penetration of electrified vehicles in 2022 they were Slovenia (3.7% share; 10,985 euros of average income), the Czech Republic (3.9%; 13,836 euros), Bulgaria (4%; 7,272 euros), Poland (5%; 10,782 euros) and Croatia (5%; 10,391 euros).
Below 9% market share there are also countries such as Italy (8.7%; 23,013 euros), Hungary (8.6%; 10,075 euros) or Greece (7.9%; 15,119 euros).
Spain occupies the twelfth position within the 27 countries that make up the EU in terms of market share (9.6% in 2022) and also in terms of the country’s average income (21,669 euros in 2021).
purchase factor
In 2022, the average price of a car in Spain was 23,443 eurosmore than 37% than in 2017 when each unit cost an average of 17,099 euros, according to data from the Tax Agency.
New cars became 7.2% more expensive in March 2023 compared to the same month of the previous year. The price of new cars rose 7.2% in March and second-hand cars became more expensive by 16.5% .
In the case of 100% electric vehicles, the minimum price to pay is around 20,205 euros, for a utility model like the Dacia Spring. A plug-in hybrid, which also has the DGT “Zero” badge, also has a price above average, since the most accessible, the Renault Captur, has a price starting at 27,970 euros. These are prices without applying the help of the Moves Plan for the purchase of low or zero emission vehicles, which can amount to 7,000 euros.
This aid policy does not contribute to encouraging the sale of zero-emission vehicles either. According to Wayne Griffithspresident of the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (Anfac) “it cannot be that someone who buys an electric (car) takes two years to receive the aid.”
Griffiths has thus regretted that the incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles in Spain are not applied directly, and has attributed this circumstance to the fact that the management of the Moves Planis decentralized and each autonomous community is responsible for the distribution.
New cars became 7.2% more expensive in March 2023 compared to the same month of the previous year, three tenths of a percentage less than the 7.5% year-on-year increase registered last February, according to the latest data from the Price Index. Consumption (CPI) of the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
The price of second-hand cars has also become significantly more expensive, with an increase of 16.5% in March in the year-on-year comparison, in line with the increase observed in the second month of the year (16.4%).
Specifically, for a used vehicle, an average of 34,075 euros must be paid, when six months ago the amount was 4.8% lower (32,500 euros), according to data from the Autobiz Green Car Monitor VO. However, those who can afford their purchase will have a choice, since the available stock, after bottoming out in September of last year with 16,775 electrified vehicles on offer, has not stopped increasing to reach 23,443 units, 40% more in just half-year.
For Ignacio Garcia Roji, Sumauto and Autoscout24 analyst “When prices rise and the available supply is reduced, it is common for consumers to stop waiting for better times. But in reality the current moment is a good one, because the gradual increase that we are seeing in automotive operations normally implies an exchange, a car is given to buy another, this speeds up and energizes the market. In this way, the sale price becomes more attractive.”
In Spain, 39.9% of drivers point to price as the most significant factor when buying a second-hand car. According to the data provided by CarVertical, 22.9% of drivers opt for vehicles that are around 5,000 euros and do not exceed 10,000. And almost four out of ten Spanish buyers of used cars (39.7%) change their vehicles every 4-6 years.
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