Downward trend regarding the purchase of fully electric cars

The downward trend of registrations of fully electric cars, recorded in the first six months of 2024, continued in the third semester, which recorded a decrease of 37%, according to the data presented, yesterday, in a press conference, by Dan Vardie, president of the Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers from Romania (APIA).

The only 7,331 full electric units registered this year is considered by the president of APIA as a "dramatic" situation, because it is the biggest drop in Europe, although there is a 13% increase in plug-in hybrids (4,533 of units), and the full hybrid recorded a jump of 53%, up to 15,280 units

Dan Vardie stated: "Everything that represents solutions with less pollution, we think is better. We are in the same complicated equation, and unfortunately the last few months have deepened that equation. We are talking about the strongest blow which was the halving of the Rabla programs. It was a crushing blow. We like it, we don't like it, or whether the Minister of the Environment likes it or not, the halving of the Rabla program had an unwanted effect and it's not an accident at all".

The representative of car manufacturers and importers shows that an analysis of Romania versus Europe reveals the fact that, in the first eight months of this year (the most recent available data at a comparative level), compared to the same period of the previous year, nationally, car registrations have increased by 5.8%, while in Europe the increase was only 1.7%. At the same time, for electric cars, a 35% decrease in registrations was recorded in Romania (6,800 units), and Europe is at a minus 5.5% (around 1.2 million units).

Dan Vardie also said: "In the first nine months of the year we are at a plus of 6% in terms of registrations, which is very good compared to what is happening in Europe and in the world. In commercial cars we have an increase of almost 4%, and in commercial vehicles a jump of 27.5%. On motorized vehicles, 27,144 electrified units were registered, an increase of 5.5%, at nine months compared to the same period in 2023".

According to the cited source, gasoline engines reported a 1% year-on-year increase to 67,789 units, while diesel cars recorded 17,003 new units registered (+16.8%).

At the same time, in the full hybrid segment, in the first eight months of this year, compared to the similar interval in 2023, 4,170 units (+14.5%) were registered in our country, compared to Europe, where a decrease was reported by 1.7%, up to 618,883 units.

The Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers is a non-profit organization, established in 1994, member of the World Organization of Automobile Manufacturers - OICA, since 1996.

APIA is the organizer of public events on the domestic market, namely the Bucharest International Auto Show - SIAB and the Sustainable Mobility Forum - FMS.