Between 2017 and 2022, the trade of electric and hybrid cars in the EU registered a staggering increase. In 2022, 42 percent of the total number of cars imported were electric or hybrid, indicating an increase of 35 percentage points (pp) compared with 2017. The change in exports was also clear with a 24 pp increase in 2022 (26 percent of the total number of cars exported) from 2017 (two percent of the total).
Non-plug-in hybrid cars went from six percent of total car imports and 0.4 percent of car exports in 2017 to 21 percent and 13 percent, respectively, in 2022. Full electric cars represented 15 percent (+14 pp compared with 2017) of car imports and nine percent of exports (+8 pp) in 2022, plug-in hybrid cars represented seven percent (+6 pp) of car imports and four percent of exports (+3 pp).
More:
- FROM POLLUTER TO GRID SERVICE PROVIDER: HOW YOUR CAR CAN HELP POWER THE ENERGY TRANSITION
- WATTS TO WHEELS: WHY EV-BATTERY INNOVATION IS KEY TO SPARKING A RENEWABLE REVOLUTION
- WATTS TO WHEELS: WHY EV-BATTERY INNOVATION IS KEY TO SPARKING A RENEWABLE REVOLUTION
In terms of value, in 2022, the EU spent a total of 37.0 billion euros on imports from extra-EU countries on hybrid and electric cars, an increase of 27 percent, compared with 2021 (29.1 billion euros). Imports of non-plug-in hybrid cars were worth 16.0 billion euros, followed by full electric cars (12.6 billion euros) and plug-in hybrid cars (8.4 billion euros).
Exports of the same products to extra-EU countries amounted to 59.1 billion euros in total value, +41 percent compared with 2021 (42.0 billion euros). Non-plug-in hybrid cars exports totalled 28.5 billion euros, while exports of full electric cars reached 22.4 billion euros and plug-in hybrid cars 8.1 billion euros.
Main partner for non-plug-in hybrid cars
Non-plug-in hybrid cars was the largest category traded among the hybrid and electric cars. The top three extra-EU countries from which the EU imported non-plug-in hybrid cars were the United Kingdom with 3.4 billion euros (corresponding to 21 percent of the total imports for non-plug-in hybrid cars), followed by Japan (2.8 billion euros) with a percentage share of 18 percent and Türkiye (2.5 billion euros) with a 15percenshare.
The top three main extra-EU countries for exports were the United States (8.7 billion euros) with a percentage share of 30 percent, followed by the United Kingdom (4.5 billion euros) with 16 percent, and Norway (4.3 billion euros) with 15 percent.
Source: Eurostat
