In a world becoming increasingly more eco-friendly, Spain does not appear to be keeping the pace as the move from petrol-powered vehicles to electric vehicles appears to be sluggish.
According to figures, the much-anticipated increased sales of electric or EV vehicles are not going to plan in Spain and experts are beginning to scrutinize the reasons for why this might be. Across Europe, sales of electric vehicles have been growing. In 2023, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles constituted 26% of car purchases and registrations in France, 31% in Portugal but…only 12% in Spain. This lag in the market has raised concern as Laura Gonçalves, General Director of Powerdot, one of Spain’s leading charging service providers highlighted. These fairly stagnant sales can also be reflected in a drop in electric car registrations in Spain. In June 2024, EV sales fell by almost 3% compared with the year before. Despite these rather discouraging statistics, Gonçalves did draw attention to some positive signs: by the end of the first half of 2024, EV registrations increased by 1.2% and 25,864 EV vehicles were sold.
Why is Spain slower in its adoption of electric vehicles?
Experts are trying to join the dots as to why this might be the case. They have outlined several factors which may be responsible. Strangely, although Spain’s infrastructure has greatly improved and electric vehicle promotion is significant, the large-scale transformation in Spain appears not to be catching on. Despite the positive attributes of EVs, it would seem that people may be put off by Spain’s more cautious adoption of new and expensive technologies including the replacement of old infrastructure. Having said this, it would not be fair to negate Spain’s implementation of public charging networks around the country. According to the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (ANFAC), 32,400 public charging points can be found across the country, an encouraging 60% increase from 2023.
Spanish government offers incentives to purchase electric vehicles
Currently, there are 150,000 electric cars on Spain’s roads as well as 225,000 hybrid vehicles. Leading city, Madrid, takes the title for most EV´s with 40,000 electric cars, followed by Catalonia (30,000), Andalucia (20,000), and Valencia (15,000). These differences mirror the distinct policies in regional areas, which affect the rates of acclimatisation. Nationally, there have been incentives and tax benefits offered by the government to encourage purchase of electric vehicles including the Plan Moves.
While Spain lags behind other European countries in the adoption of electric vehicles, there is optimism that increased government initiatives, better public education, and heightened awareness of the environmental and economic benefits will help drive change. As these efforts continue, the hope is that more Spaniards will embrace eco-friendly transportation, helping the country transition towards a greener future in line with global trends.
Find other articles on Electric vehicles
