The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) reports that in the first quarter of 2015, registrations of alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) in the European Union rose 28.8% compared to the same period last year, with 144,421 alternative fuel vehicles registered. AFVs include electric vehicles, hybrids, and propane- and natural gas-powered cars.
Electric vehicles (EVs) saw the most growth. The number of EVs more than doubled, from 11,304 to 24,630 units. During the same period, hybrid cars increased by 21.4% and propane- and natural gas-powered cars grew by 16.5%.
The largest increase in AFV registrations was in the United Kingdom (64.2%), followed by France (33.9%), Italy (18.1%) and Germany (11.3%). Among the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, Norway posted the highest growth at 32.7%, with 10,901 units.
Propane- and natural gas-powered vehicles remain the most popular types of AFV, followed by hybrids and all-electric vehicles.