The market share of absolutely electrical vehicles and buses is rising at a staggering tempo in Europe, in keeping with a new report from the Worldwide Council on Clear Transport (ICCT).
The ICCT says 11,000 zero-emission heavy-duty automobiles had been bought in Europe in 2023, greater than double the 5,000 bought in 2022, and 18% of all buses and coaches bought within the EU in 2023 had been electrical. It says 5% of sunshine and medium vehicles and 1% of heavy vehicles had been additionally electrical.
Whereas the whole market share of electrical vehicles continues to be comparatively low, the ICCT report exhibits that progress is speedy with electrical heavy vehicles tripling market share from 0.3% to 0.9% in simply 12 months.
“Our newest #EU 🇪🇺 Market Monitor on #ZeroEmission #trucks 🚛 and #buses 🚌 is out (This fall 2023). I am going to depart you with two key figures:
1️⃣ 11 thousand ZE-HDVs had been bought in 2023 (i.e., greater than 2x in 2022)
2️⃣ This fall 2023 alone noticed extra #electric heavy-trucks… pic.twitter.com/PWIz3PP4Sp
— Felix Hamer • electricfelix (@electricfelix) March 19, 2024
Metropolis buses main staggering progress in electrifying heavy-vehicles
The ICCT says that within the This fall of 2023, 43% of all new metropolis buses bought in Europe had been absolutely electrical, up from lower than 30% in 2022. In total bus gross sales, together with longer haul interurban coaches, electrical bus market share has grown within the EU from simply 4% in 2019 to 22% in This fall-2023. A five-fold enhance in market share in simply 5 years.
The ICCT additionally broke down metropolis bus market share by EU member states offering fascinating insights into which international locations are getting critical about electrifying their bus fleets.
In 2023 absolutely electrical buses make up 100% of metropolis bus market share in Luxembourg, Eire and Denmark and 98% within the Netherlands. With nearly no new diesel buses coming into public transport fleets, these international locations are taking enormous strides in defending their residents from lethal diesel exhaust air pollution.
Germany, Austria and Belgium are the laggards of Europe with diesel buses nonetheless making up 75% of latest bus gross sales successfully condemning their very own residents to many extra years of harmful well being wrecking diesel air pollution.
Whereas metropolis bus electrification charges in Germany, Austria and Belgium are low by European requirements, they’re nonetheless a good distance forward of Australia.
Final 12 months a report by The Australia Institute discovered that due to state authorities failures, simply 0.2% of Australia’s bus fleet is electrical, forcing hundreds of thousands of Australian commuters to choke on disgusting diesel exhaust air pollution daily at 1000’s of bus stops across the nation.
The diesel exhaust air pollution spewing out of buses in Australian cities has a surprising influence on the well being and wellbeing of hundreds of thousands of Australians.
Final 12 months a examine in Canada discovered that diesel air pollution can boring the human mind in hours. One other examine by Melbourne College discovered automobile air pollution in Australia causes 11,000 untimely deaths and is chargeable for over 12,000 cardiovascular hospitalisations, 66,000 energetic bronchial asthma circumstances, and nearly 7,000 respiratory hospitalisations per 12 months.
And it’s not simply air air pollution. New analysis has proven devastating well being impacts from petrol and diesel site visitors noise. A landmark examine in March final 12 months discovered elevated ranges of hypertension and heart problems in people who find themselves uncovered to excessive ranges of site visitors noise. Noise that will probably be considerably lowered with the transition to electrical buses.
Electrical mild and medium vehicles matching Australian passenger EV uptake
Market share of absolutely electrical mild and medium vehicles with 3.5 to 12 tonnes GVW (gross automobile weight) in Europe in 2023 was roughly the identical as electrical passenger automobile market share in Australia. In Europe 6% of all mild and medium truck gross sales had been absolutely electrical, greater than double the two.5% market share in 2022.
The ICCT says that electrical mild and medium truck gross sales elevated by 200% year-on-year in 2023 with the Ford E-Transit main zero-emissions gross sales.
Electrical heavy vehicles accelerating off a low base
The ICCT report additionally exhibits that regardless of nonetheless solely making up 1% of whole market share, electrical heavy vehicles over 12 tonnes GVW have seen dramatic progress rising threefold from 820 bought in 2022 to 2,600 in 2023.
The ICCT says Volvo Group, which consists of Volvo Vans and Renault Vans, produced 70% of all zero-emission heavy vehicles in 2023. Volvo is now producing double the quantity electrical heavy vehicles for the EU market than standard diesel vehicles. Volvo seems to be setting itself up as a worldwide chief within the manufacturing of electrical heavy vehicles after promoting its first in Australia final week.
One other latest examine discovered that along with already having a lot decrease operating prices, electrical vehicles will hit value parity with their diesel truck class equivalents a lot ahead of thought because of plummeting battery prices.
The electrification of heavy automobiles is nicely underway in Europe and can convey with it huge societal advantages by substantial reductions in air and noise air pollution in addition to less expensive, decarbonised freight. It’s time Australia adopted go well with.
Daniel Bleakley is a clear expertise researcher and advocate with a background in engineering and enterprise. He has a powerful curiosity in electrical automobiles, renewable vitality, manufacturing and public coverage.
