Worldwide, the share of new e-car registrations rises from 14 per cent (2022) to 20 per cent (2023); in Germany, it falls from 37 to 26 per cent. China again leads the Roland Berger EV Charging Index 2024, established e-mobility nations are stagnating, other countries are catching up.
The number of electric vehicles sold worldwide continues to rise, but no longer at the same pace: after doubling in 2022, there was only an increase of 33 per cent in 2023. The share of e-vehicles in new registrations worldwide thus continues to grow – from 14 per cent in 2022 to 20 per cent in 2023. However, some established markets experienced setbacks, including Germany, albeit at a high level: here, the share of e-vehicles in new registrations fell from 37 to 26 per cent. High electricity costs and inflation are among the factors having a negative impact on sales figures worldwide. The reduction in state purchase subsidies is also slowing things down, as many countries are shifting their subsidies away from vehicle purchases and towards the charging infrastructure. The global number of charging points rose sharply by 65 per cent in 2023, while the proportion of fast chargers increased significantly, especially in Germany and France. Even if this increase has not kept pace with the growing number of vehicles in all countries, over 81 per cent of consumers say that charging has become easier in the past six months. The Roland Berger EV Charging Index 2024 comes to these and other conclusions based on extensive industry interviews and a survey of 16,000 participants from Europe, Asia, North and South America and the Middle East.
‘The situation of electromobility varies greatly around the world,’ says Stefan Riederle, Partner at Roland Berger. ‘Mature markets such as Germany are reducing financial purchase incentives or cancelling them completely, while less mature markets, for example in southern Europe, are driving the expansion of infrastructure and the sale of e-vehicles with subsidies. The strategies of car manufacturers also vary: some OEMs are focussing on new purely electric platforms, while others are returning to plug-in hybrids. In general, the sluggish progress towards cost parity between combustion engines and electric vehicles is slowing down the industry.’
China once again leads the way in e-mobility
The Roland Berger EV Charging Index assesses the status of the countries analysed in terms of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and general customer satisfaction with electric mobility. As in previous years, China leads the current ranking with a clear points advantage: Although the country has not improved its overall score, which remains at 82 points, it continues to record strong growth in e-vehicle sales and the expansion of charging infrastructure. Germany and the USA are tied for second place in the ranking with 70 points, followed by the Netherlands and France with 69 points. All five leading countries had to accept stagnation or even a drop in points compared to the previous year’s index. This trend can be seen in most established markets. In contrast, the emerging markets in the Middle East and South East Asia experienced rapid growth in sales of electric vehicles, narrowing the gap between them and the leading electromobility nations.
Germany lost points, partly because the proportion of new registrations accounted for by electric vehicles fell from 37 to 26 per cent, but was still able to defend its second place in the ranking. The expansion of the charging infrastructure in particular is making good progress in Germany: in 2023, the total number of charging points grew by around 44 per cent and the number of fast chargers by around 70 per cent. The infrastructure is therefore growing significantly faster than the number of e-vehicles. Nevertheless, there is still some way to go before the German government’s target of one million charging points by 2030 is reached. In addition, the supply still varies greatly from region to region.
OEMs are committed to charging infrastructure to promote sales of e-vehicles
The number of charging points worldwide will also have grown significantly by 2023, with an increase of 65 per cent. ‘The market for charging electric vehicles is developing dynamically,’ says Riederle. ‘In both established and developing regions, more and more companies are getting involved and testing new business models and technologies.’ In addition to energy suppliers and dealers, car manufacturers around the world are also becoming increasingly active in this area, either with their own offerings or through partnerships with other operators. ‘Without charging infrastructure, electric vehicles sell poorly, so this commitment is a means for OEMs to increase sales, especially in less developed markets.’
You can also read this study in the current issue of eMove360° magazine in german language. Download the PDF free of charge or order the print version in the eMove360° shop.