As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, by the year 2035, Croatia will have the 15th largest share in the sale of electric vehicles across Europe, with a total of 28.25% of newly registered cars that are expected to be electric, according to an analysis presented by the British consulting company Confused.com, which is one of the most famous European market comparison services in the automotive market.
With a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warning of the irreversible effects of climate change, the desirability of the electric car has never been higher. Confused.com consultants analysed historical trends and data from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and Eurostat.
Their study ultimately predicted which European countries are likely to have the largest share of electric vehicle sales by 2035. With only 1.47% of new registered electric cars in 2020, the Croatian market is likely to experience a significant jump in sales and as such Croatian electric vehicle owners, with projected increases in EV registrations of 47% by 2035.
With the highest percentage of new electric vehicle sales in 2020 (54.37%), Norway is likely to have the largest share of newly registered electric vehicles by 2035. According to Confused.com, 99.9% of them are projected to be electric, marking a significant 46% increase within a 15 year period. Norway is joined at the top by the Netherlands, which is also expected to have 99.9% of its newly registered vehicles be electric ones by 2035. This is an improvement of 76% within the stated time frame. In Sweden, 80.35% of new car sales are expected to be electric by 2035, the second largest share in Europe.
The Association of Drivers of Electric Vehicles – Strujni krug (Circuit) points out that Croatia has been recording significant growth in the sale of fully electric vehicles and Croatian electric vehicle owners from year to year. Hrvoje Prpic, President of the Circuit Association, says that back in 2019, e-vehicles had a share in the Croatian market of new cars of only 0.25%, in 2020 it increased to 1.47%, in 2021, the share of Croatian electric vehicle owners increased to a much more significant 3.17%.
“It’s certainly worth taking into account that we’ve only recently entered a period in which the infrastructure of charging stations for such cars has been significantly expanded throughout the Republic of Croatia. Every serious vehicle manufacturer finally has at least a few fully electric models on offer, and we’re facing a period in which we’re going to see even greater changes thanks to the upcoming measures and regulations,” noted Prpic.
He added that he expects that by 2035, the share of new electric vehicles in total sales will be significantly higher than the estimated 28.25% and that, taking into account the upcoming Euro 7 standard, European AFIR regulations and the fact that e-vehicles have already begun to overtake diesels on sale across the EU, such statistics should be available before 2030.
Alex Kindred, a car insurance expert at the British Confused.com, commented that this change in mobility will also bring with it a number of challenges for other related sectors, such as car insurance.
“As electric vehicles become more and more popular all over the world, it’s important to understand what kind of insurance they need. You may be able to cover your electric car with a standard car insurance policy, but this isn’t always the best move. Dedicated insurance for e-vehicles often comes with a number of benefits, such as charging cable cover, free recovery to the nearest charging point if your battery power runs out and accidental damage, fire and battery theft protection. These benefits can really make a difference,” said Kindred, adding that expensive batteries for e-vehicles will certainly be an important element in future insurance.
For more, check out our lifestyle section.
