Electric car sales on Kanaren rise 82 per cent

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In August, dealers in the Canary Islands sold 82 per cent more electric cars than a year earlier, although this amounted to just 209 vehicles.
Chinese brands such as BYD, MG, Omoda and Jaecoo are driving sales with more affordable models.
According to Fredica, high fuel prices and the longer ranges of the new models are boosting demand for electric cars.

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Dealers sold around 82 per cent more electric cars in the Canary Islands in August than in the same month the previous year. This was announced by Fredica, the Canary Islands‘ association of car importers and authorised dealers. However, this high percentage was achieved with just 209 electric cars.

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So far this year, dealers have sold 35 per cent more electric cars than in the same period last year. In total, dealers sold 3,242 new cars, bringing the market share of electric cars to 14.2 per cent.

The industry association Aconauto Canarias reported 460 newly registered all-electric vehicles, including electric vehicles other than cars. However, the discrepancy can also be explained from a second perspective: the method of counting. Fredica records sales by authorised dealers, whilst Aconauto records new registrations. This figure also includes, for example, vehicles purchased on the mainland and shipped to the Canary Islands.

Canary Islands: Chinese brands drive electric car sales

Over the first eight months, 3,138 purely electric cars were registered in the Canary Islands. The total number of cars registered was 32,080. The proportion in this analysis is therefore 9.7 per cent, and the monthly figure is thus significantly higher than the cumulative proportion.

Rafael Pombriego, Vice-President of Fredica, sees the entry of new international competitors into the market as a key factor. The industry expert highlighted Chinese manufacturers in particular. According to Fredica, BYD, MG, Omoda and Jaecoo are focusing on competitive models and more flexible pricing structures that are better aligned with the budgets of the island’s residents. BYD is regarded as one of the leading providers of all-electric vehicle fleets. The company increased its sales in August by 35 per cent compared with the previous year.

Fuel prices are boosting the electric car market in the Canary Islands

In July, fuel prices in the Canary Islands reached an all-time high, despite checks for possible price-fixing. According to Fredica, this is precisely one of the reasons behind the trend, alongside the ever-increasing ranges of current electric models.

According to the Canary Islands Government, a steadily increasing number of public charging points are currently available to serve the growing electric vehicle fleet. Two-thirds of these are located on the eastern islands.