Electric cars are the future, but some countries are entering the new era at a faster rate than others.

LONDON, ENGLAND, May 4, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Electric cars are the future, but some countries are entering the new era at a faster rate than others. Globally, a total of 2,65 million new Electric Vehicles (EVs) were purchased during the first six months of 2021. This represents an increase of 168% on a comparable figure in 2020. While these figures may be distorted by the impact of the pandemic, they represent a considerable uptick in global EV sales. While the figures are impressive, they hide a more complex picture when countries and regions are explored.

UK drivers are increasingly seeing the benefits of electric vehicles

The appetite in the UK for electric vehicles is considerable according to Chris Rouse from Express Car Leasing, one of the UK's leading leasing experts. He says, "electric vehicles are now leading the way in running costs as they are a lot cheaper than petrol or diesel cars, making them an affordable and efficient option."
Despite this appetite for electric vehicles, the UK is only 17th in the global electric vehicles chart. If the UK is mid-table at best, who are the nations currently setting the pace and what are they getting right?

Norway leads the way

It might come as a surprise to learn that a country that has built its wealth over recent decades on oil and gas has invested heavily in an electric transport future. Norway has 18.9 people for every electric vehicle registered in the country. While this may not seem like an impressive ratio compared to the ownership of petrol and diesel vehicles per person globally, it's substantially higher than the UK's 513 people per registered electric vehicle.
While the US may give the impression of being a nation of petrolheads, they come in second when it comes to going electric, with one electric vehicle registered for every 46.8 people. Next up is Iceland at 72.6 people per vehicle, Sweden at 76.7 and the Netherlands at 141.4.

Which countries are doing the least well?

In Turkey, the electric vehicle market has barely got going with 54,959.7 people per registered EV. Greece isn't doing much better with 19.108.7 for every registered electric vehicle. Poland, Romania and Croatia are doing slightly better, but still have a long way to go with the ratio running well into the thousands.

Infrastructure is key

It's clear that if electric vehicles are going to replace petrol and diesel vehicles globally, then significant work remains to be done. Infrastructure is the key factor in drivers switching to electric vehicles, with concerns over charging points an ongoing issue for many drivers. The more a country invests in its charging infrastructure, the greater the take-up of electric vehicles. This is why Norway leads the way with charging stations at every 50km interval on the roads, and every new home that's built required to have an EV charging point. It's one reason why nearly 70% of new car sales in the country are now for electric vehicles. If drivers have confidence, they will be able to charge their car they willingly make the transition to electric vehicles.

The UK is playing catch-up

Express Car Leasing are seeing year on year increases in the number of customers looking to lease electric vehicles, a trend that's only likely to continue. With the right investment in charging infrastructure, the UK could soon become a global leader when it comes to electric vehicle uptake. With the government setting ambitious targets for the phase of out of new petrol and diesel vehicles, the coming years should see significant investment in infrastructure across the UK. To achieve these targets, the UK can learn from some of the global leaders when it comes to electric vehicle uptake.

Chris Rouse
Express Car Leasing
+44 1214279477
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