Sales of electric vehicles in Slovakia have approached the psychological 5 percent threshold, beyond which significantly faster development typically occurs. This may include more noticeable improvements in charging infrastructure as well as the fact that battery electric cars will no longer be purchased solely by wealthy people and technology enthusiasts.
Of all the new cars sold in Slovakia in May, electric vehicles accounted for 4.9 percent, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). Although this is significantly lower than the European Union’s average of 15 percent, the situation has improved considerably compared to last year.
Compared to May of last year, the sale of pure electric vehicles in Slovakia has nearly doubled. "We are approaching five percent of new sales. That is considered a threshold in any technology," explains Boris Bukovský from the Slovak Association for Electromobility (SEVA).
Although at this threshold electric vehicles are not yet mainstream, they are increasingly common on the roads, more frequently appearing in company fleets, and people have fewer reservations about this new technology.
"It is also a turning point in terms of the development of infrastructure and support services, because the demand for them grows afterward," adds Bukovský.
According to the expert, the actual share of electric vehicles in overall registrations is even higher. Statistics available to SEVA from the police indicate that if used electric vehicles are added to new registrations, the share of electromobility in all passenger car registrations reaches up to 12 percent – a record figure.
The growth is likely driven by a wider range of more affordable models, such as the Škoda Elroq, as well as an expansion of offerings in secondary markets, particularly abroad, from where vehicles also reach Slovak owners.
The share of electric vehicles among new car sales in Slovakia today is comparable to that of other V4 countries, although it remains the lowest – in Hungary it reached 7.3 percent in May, in the Czech Republic 6.2 percent, and in Poland 6 percent.
In terms of electric vehicle adoption, however, Slovakia still lags significantly behind Western countries. In Austria, one in every five new cars is electric, in Belgium every third, and in Denmark as many as 60 percent.
Even though electric mobility is beginning to take off here as well, gasoline remains the most popular powertrain. Car sales with this powertrain in Slovakia have grown slightly year over year, even though they decreased by more than 18 percent on average in the European Union.
The second most common choice among Slovaks is conventional hybrids without the possibility of grid charging. This type of powertrain is also the most popular among customers throughout the EU, with their sales helping to boost the entire automotive sector – which grew by 1.6 percent in May.
Source: Dennik N
