The electric car - an increasingly common sight on our roads
The demographic of those who choose to purchase and use EVs has changed over the past few years. While initially it was mostly companies driving electrical vehicles, today there are also more private individuals considering an electric car or plug-in hybrid when buying a new car. By 2025, it is predicted that there will be over a million rechargeable cars on our roads.
In 2022, Sweden acquired nearly 100,000 new electric cars, which corresponds to 31 percent of the total vehicle sales in the country during the same year. This is almost a tripling since 2020 and a consistent increase since 2016, when, for comparison, 3,360 electric cars were sold and registered in our elongated country.
Why is the number of electrical vehicles increasing?
Electric cars and plug-in hybrids are still more expensive to buy compared to fossil fuel car models of similar size and standard. However, we have recently seen a rapid development in electric vehicle technology, with car manufacturers now offering a wider range of electric alternatives in their model lineups.
Today there are more plug-in hybrids and electric cars to choose from, simultaneously with decreasing prices, the effects of governmental subsidies, and an expansion of public charging infrastructure. Many people realize that there can be both environmental and economic benefits to choosing an EV over a conventional petrol or diesel car, despite the ongoing higher purchase price.
The demographics of those choosing EVs have changed
Just a few years ago, plug-in vehicles were something that companies acquired or individuals with a strong interest in technology, the environment, and the financial means. Today we see that an increasing number of people, regardless of their group, are choosing EVs more frequently, both through private leasing and new car purchases. However, differences still exist depending on whether one lives in rural or urban environments, age, income, and gender.
For example, in 2022, 72 percent of all electric cars sold were registered to men. At the same time, the average age was 49 years, compared to 51 years for vehicles with other types of fuels. It´s more common to drive an electric car in municipalities near major cities, where the expansion of charging infrastructure is generally more extensive than in rural areas. Electric car households are typically found in areas with a relatively well-educated population and where Swedish background is common. Both households that purchase and those that lease an electric car often already have another car.
Electric cars are increasing more than plug-in hybrids
In 2022, a total of 288,003 new passenger cars were registered in Sweden, of which slightly over 100,000 were pure electric cars, according to
Mobility Sweden
. Statistics also show that the share of newly registered rechargeable passenger cars increased from 45 percent in 2021 to 56 percent in 2022. During the same year, the share of electric cars increased by 65 percent, while the number of plug-in hybrids decreased by nearly 15 percent.
The strong electrification trend from the previous year contributed to a 22.5 percent reduction in average carbon dioxide emissions from new passenger cars. The electrification trend seems to be continuing in 2023 despite a total decrease in the number of sold passenger cars, regardless of the power source.
From the beginning of the year until July, 58,597 new electric cars and 32,704 plug-in hybrids were registered, compared to 35,090 petrol cars and only 14,134 diesel cars. By 2025, it is estimated that there will be around one million rechargeable vehicles on our roads, of which 600,000 will be electric cars.