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Alternative fuel vehicles; hybrid cars soaring in Europe
Dino Collazzo
Positive numbers for alternative fuel engines. The first half of 2017 closed with 123,276 cars more than in the same period of 2016. Such positive figures show how the car industry is investing in developing engines that make the most of both gas and electricity.
Not a booming trend as yet, but several analysts are convinced that within twenty years alternative fuel cars will take a large chunk of the automotive market. Following a series of increasingly stringent regulations on harmful emissions, the automotive industry has been investing large resources in developing engines, materials, components and technology in general, capable of producing cars with performances similar to those powered by more traditional fuels such as petrol and diesel. The countdown has already started.
The decision, by a number of countries, to ban vehicles powered by traditional fuels, to be replaced by alternative fuels such as gas, electricity and hybrid power, is a clear testimony of this. France and the UK will impose the above mentioned ban in 2040, The Netherlands will start as early as 2025 and India is looking at 2030. However, all eyes are on one country in particular, China. The world’s largest car producers, though no specific deadline has been set as yet, has started to collect resources to be dedicated to “fossil free” mobility. Especially on electrically-powered cars and plug-in hybrids, a segment in which the Asian giant holds record breaking figures both in production (40% of the global production) and in sales (336thousand units in 2016).
Alternatively-powered cars in Europe
The European car industry has likewise been investing large sums of cash in alternative fuel technologies. And a demonstration of this is the fact that manufacturers have increased the production of vehicles powered by gas, hybrid and electrically-powered engines. Looking at the data for the first six months of 2017, 463,567 gas or electrically-powered cars have been registered in the EU / Efta market, according to a study carried out by Anfia. Numbers in line with the growth trend recorded in the same period of previous years. In fact, compared to the first half of 2016, sales were up by 123,276 units. Analyzing the report in detail, though, it is evident that the largest increase was scored by hybrid vehicles, with their full-electric “sisters” trailing behind. In the latter case, the lack of recharging infrastructures has greatly influenced the rather unflattering sales trend.
The largest Ue/Efta markets
In Europe, 70% of the alternative fuel market is dominated by 5 countries: Italy (26.6%), the United Kingdom (12.7%), France (11.5%), Germany (11%) and Norway ( 8.2%). A closer look at the individual national markets, though, reveal a few differences. In Italy gas-powered vehicles (LGP and Natural gas) prevail, and make up 71.8% of the total. This is due to three main factors: the presence of gas in the country - particularly natural gas -; technological development linked to the production of engines suitable for this type of fuel; the increasingly widespread presence of dedicated service stations. A progress that is currently not found in the plug-in electric sector, which is leaving us way behind other European competitors. Norway, on the other hand, can boast the highest number of electrically powered cars.
Note: the following chart contains the words in Italian and their translations.
1°Graphic: Auto ecofriendly = Eco-friendly vehicles / Auto, immatricolazioni, alimentazione alternativa, 1°semestre = Vehicles, new registrations, alternative fuel, 1° semester
2°Graphic: Mercato alimentazione alternativa Ue/Efta = EU/Efta alternative fuel market / I 5 maggiori mercati Ue/Efta di auto ad alimentazione alternativa 1° semestre 2017 = 5 largest EU/Efta alternative-fuel-powered vehicle markets
3°Graphic: Mercato auto elettrica Ue/Efta - Cina = EU/Efta – China electric-vehicle markets / Variazione % = Variation in %
The decision, by a number of countries, to ban vehicles powered by traditional fuels, to be replaced by alternative fuels such as gas, electricity and hybrid power, is a clear testimony of this. France and the UK will impose the above mentioned ban in 2040, The Netherlands will start as early as 2025 and India is looking at 2030. However, all eyes are on one country in particular, China. The world’s largest car producers, though no specific deadline has been set as yet, has started to collect resources to be dedicated to “fossil free” mobility. Especially on electrically-powered cars and plug-in hybrids, a segment in which the Asian giant holds record breaking figures both in production (40% of the global production) and in sales (336thousand units in 2016).
Alternatively-powered cars in Europe
The European car industry has likewise been investing large sums of cash in alternative fuel technologies. And a demonstration of this is the fact that manufacturers have increased the production of vehicles powered by gas, hybrid and electrically-powered engines. Looking at the data for the first six months of 2017, 463,567 gas or electrically-powered cars have been registered in the EU / Efta market, according to a study carried out by Anfia. Numbers in line with the growth trend recorded in the same period of previous years. In fact, compared to the first half of 2016, sales were up by 123,276 units. Analyzing the report in detail, though, it is evident that the largest increase was scored by hybrid vehicles, with their full-electric “sisters” trailing behind. In the latter case, the lack of recharging infrastructures has greatly influenced the rather unflattering sales trend.
The largest Ue/Efta markets
In Europe, 70% of the alternative fuel market is dominated by 5 countries: Italy (26.6%), the United Kingdom (12.7%), France (11.5%), Germany (11%) and Norway ( 8.2%). A closer look at the individual national markets, though, reveal a few differences. In Italy gas-powered vehicles (LGP and Natural gas) prevail, and make up 71.8% of the total. This is due to three main factors: the presence of gas in the country - particularly natural gas -; technological development linked to the production of engines suitable for this type of fuel; the increasingly widespread presence of dedicated service stations. A progress that is currently not found in the plug-in electric sector, which is leaving us way behind other European competitors. Norway, on the other hand, can boast the highest number of electrically powered cars.
Note: the following chart contains the words in Italian and their translations.
1°Graphic: Auto ecofriendly = Eco-friendly vehicles / Auto, immatricolazioni, alimentazione alternativa, 1°semestre = Vehicles, new registrations, alternative fuel, 1° semester
2°Graphic: Mercato alimentazione alternativa Ue/Efta = EU/Efta alternative fuel market / I 5 maggiori mercati Ue/Efta di auto ad alimentazione alternativa 1° semestre 2017 = 5 largest EU/Efta alternative-fuel-powered vehicle markets
3°Graphic: Mercato auto elettrica Ue/Efta - Cina = EU/Efta – China electric-vehicle markets / Variazione % = Variation in %
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