The biggest growth through 2020 is expected to come in battery electric vehicles, followed by plug-in hybrids, according to the report, while hybrid electric vehicle sales will lag behind in most European countries.
Although government support for electric vehicles in Europe is waning, the increasing availability of vehicle charging infrastructure that enables vehicles to charge at home, at the workplace, and in public places is facilitating market growth, the report said.
“The European transportation market is significantly different from other world regions,” says senior research analyst David Alexander. “Thanks to fuel prices that are significantly higher than in North America, small, efficient gasoline- and diesel-engine cars have led European sales figures for many years.”
The market is still testing electric drive technology, waiting for the price premium for EVs compared to conventional vehicles to narrow, and in some cases waiting for electric charging infrastructure to become established, Alexander added.
The prevalence of diesel vehicles has prevented hybrids from achieving the success in Europe that they have had in North America, where the contrast with large V8 vehicles is important to consumers.
Electric vehicle sales in China to reach 45000 units by 2015, Pike Research
In another recent report, Pike Research forecast that annual sales of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in China will reach only 45,000 units by 2015, increasing to 152,000 vehicles in 2017.
Since 2003, Chinese automakers have released or announced the production of 40 battery electric vehicles and 31 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that will be on the market by 2015. Chinese vehicle manufacturers such as BYD, SAIC, and Foton all delivered hybrids or PEVs to the market by 2011, the report said.