At this year's Power2Drive Europe Conference, PwC presented its latest insights and analysis on global e-mobility. The presentation by Steven Van Arsdale, Lead Analyst of PwC Autofacts (one of Germany's leading auditing and consultancy organisation), provided valuable insights into the performance of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) worldwide and highlighted the different trends in key markets.
Market analysis and trends
The analysis began with an examination of BEV sales in various countries. The presentation of the market development in Europe was particularly interesting. In Norway, a pioneer in the field of electromobility, BEV sales fell by 5%, but overall sales of electric vehicles remained stable. In contrast, Germany and Sweden showed a weaker performance, with the share of BEV sales falling while the rest of the market grew.
A key issue was Germany's role in the European market. While BEV sales increased in other European countries, Germany decreased the overall statistics. Interestingly, Germany saw an increase in the rest of the automotive market, indicating that BEV sales are particularly challenging here.
The picture was more positive in markets outside Europe. China, the USA and Australia in particular recorded strong growth in BEV sales. China achieved an impressive 40% share of all vehicle sales with new energy vehicles (NEVs), underlining the dominance of brands such as BYD and the challenges for Tesla.
Market attractiveness and models
Another focus was on the price parity between BEVs and conventional vehicles. It was found that the attractiveness of BEVs strongly depends on pricing and CO2 taxes. Countries with high CO2 taxes on combustion vehicles show a higher acceptance of BEVs as they are often competitively priced.
The market penetration of BEVs is also beginning to extend to the lower vehicle segments. Van Arsdale emphasized that the introduction of more affordable models, such as the Dacia Spring Electric, the Citroen Ë-C3, the Hyundai Inster or the Renault R5, are expanding the market for BEVs. These models now offer significantly better ranges and value for money than previous electric vehicles. The Stellantis Group in particular is pushing ahead with new entry-level models with electric drives below the 25,000 euro mark, a segment that was previously not really attractive to consumers.
The future of plug-in hybrids
The future role of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) was also discussed. While they are still in high demand in some markets such as Germany and Sweden, a decline was predicted due to stricter EU CO2 emission regulations. By 2028, the CO2 values of PHEVs could increase significantly, making them less attractive for manufacturers.
In China and the USA, two other major markets for plug-in hybrids, however, PHEVs and range extenders are expected to continue to grow due to problems with the charging infrastructure network. In China, BYD dominates the NEV market with a market share of 34% and has a significant influence on the development of plug-in hybrids. In the US, Stellantis is the leader, with plug-in hybrids growing by 47%, while the rest of the market only grew by 2%.
Scenarios for the future
Finally, various future scenarios for electromobility in Europe, China and North America were presented. While Europe and China show a clear trend towards fully electric vehicles, North America remains a volatile market due to political uncertainties. Nevertheless, the long-term trend towards an electrified vehicle fleet remains.
You can find the full presentation by Steven Van Arsdale in the media library of media library of The smarter E Digital .
