The IEA report said recent Beijing policies meant “electric cars are costing consumers more, especially the most affordable electric cars”.
More than half the electric cars sold in China last year were battery or hybrid EVs, compared with about one third in Britain.
However, whilst demand for battery-powered vehicles is growing in Britain, sales are still not increasing fast enough to meet the net zero targets set by Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary.
About 23pc of all cars sold in Britain last year were zero-emission EVs (ZEVs), which refer to battery-only cars but not hybrids. That fell short of Mr Miliband’s target for last year of 28pc.
Under the Government’s ZEV rules, carmakers are fined £12,000 per car for any shortfall. This target will increase to 33pc this year.
Last year, the Government moved to allow car companies to avoid fines by borrowing credits from future years or by earning extra credits, amid concerns about weaker demand.
Mr Miliband also introduced a subsidy last July for buyers of ZEVs costing less than £37,000. The IEA said this would cover about a quarter of the EVs sold last year.
Leave a comment