Record year for electric cars likely as Volkswagen drives EV sales
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While 2020 was a record year for electric vehicle (EV) sales, 2021 looks to be even better having almost matched the previous years figure in the first five months with Volkswagen comfortably in the driving seat.
Automotive data supplier Cartell.ie has found that the German car brand outsold its rivals to take the top spot on the leader board, more than doubling the number of EVs sold by previous table topper Nissan.
Despite a late arrival on the EV scene, Volkswagen has sold 1,231 electric models since the beginning of the year, followed by Nissan at 604 and Kia at 412.
VW's ID4 and ID3 models seem to be making a decent impression with buyers as they top the best selling EV models list at 618 and 523 units respectively driving out of showrooms.
The Nissan Leaf motors its way into third spot, selling just over 480, while just one sale separates the Kia Niro and Tesla Model 3 at 378 and 377 respectively.
The research also looked at how long customers are holding onto their electric vehicles in contrast with their petrol and diesel counterparts.
Of cars registered between 2013 and 2019, they found that more than 65% of EV owners are still on their first car compare to the private fleet as a whole at just 40%.
While 2020 was a record year for EV sales, with 4,813 cars driving off the lot, 2021 looks to surpass that by quite a margin with around 4,163 EVs being sold in the first five months of the year.
Jeff Aherne, Innovation Lead, Cartell.ie says exponential growth in EV sales is to be expected in the coming years.
Mr Ahern said: "There is no doubt, with the manufacturer investment and Government incentives, vehicles of this type are going to continue to grow in the market and, ultimately, they will replace the fossil-fuel-aspirated engines.
"The rise of Volkswagen in this category is a story in itself – the buyer clearly likes the options they are providing.”