Global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) reached a record in 2022, with 10.5-million new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) delivered, an increase of 55% compared with 2021.
The regional growth pattern is shifting, though. After two years of steep sales increases in Europe, EVs gained only 15% over 2021. Weak overall vehicle markets and persistent component shortages have taken a toll and were worsened by the war in Ukraine, according to EV-volumes.com.
EV sales in the US and Canada increased by 48% year-on-year, despite a weak overall light vehicle market which plunged by 8% during 2022.
The second half of 2022 saw a slight recovery of vehicle markets. Global light vehicle sales for 2022 were 81-million units, 0.5% lower than in 2021 and 15% below pre-2020 levels.
China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) sales rose by 82% year-on-year. BYD recorded sales of 1.85-million units, making it the top seller in the global NEV sales ranking with 944,500 PHEV sales included.
Counting BEVs only, Tesla still leads the way with 1.31-million units delivered in 2022.
Sales growth is increasingly depending on the degree of electrification, with BEVs growing 59% and PHEVs 46% last year. Sales of non-chargeable, full hybrids grew by 15% and mild hybrids by 1%.
Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales declined by 7% in 2022, down to a 76.8% share of global light vehicle sales compared with 82.2% in 2021.
Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) remain irrelevant for the electrification of light vehicles and their deliveries stagnated at 15,400 units in 2022, which is 0.02% of the global annual light vehicle volume.
Norway is by far the country with the highest adoption and market share of EVs, with BEVs at 71% and PHEVs at 8%. China has 27%, Europe 20.8% and the US 7.2%.
The fastest-growing markets for NEVs in 2022 were Indonesia, which saw sales increase from 1,000 units to 10,000, and India with a more than 223% increase to 50,000 units. New Zealand saw a 151% increase to 23,000 units for a 20% market share. EV supply and adoption is now spreading rapidly in the global south.
For 2023, sales of 14.3-million EVs — up 36% over 2022 — is expected, with BEVs reaching 8-million units and PHEVs 2.6-million, according to EV-volumes.com.
By the end of 2023, it is expected that nearly 40-million EVs will be in operation, counting light vehicles, the split being 73% BEVs and 27% PHEVs.
The uptake in South Africa has been slow due to high EV prices and Eskom’s woes. In 2022, EV sales rose 132% to 506 units (off a very low base of 218 units in 2021) with the launch of new battery-powered models from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo.
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