Half of the electric vehicle sales recorded in 2021 worldwide were made in China, according to data released today by the consultancy Canalyso

According to Canalys, 6.5 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide last year, up 109% from 2020, according to Canalys. The figure corresponds to 9% of total vehicle sales worldwide.

The world 6.5 million electric vehicles last year, an increase of 109% compared to 2020. The figure corresponds to 9% of total vehicle sales worldwide.

More than 3.2 million units were sold in China, where electrics already account for 15% of sales, doubling the percentage from the previous year.

"Many new models are launched every month in each of the important market segments," the consultant noted in the report.

"There are great opportunities for growth in 2022 and into the future," he described.

Europe lags behind in nominal sales value (2.3 million vehicles), but surpasses China in percentage, with electrics accounting for 19% of total cars sold in 2021.

In the United States, the adoption rate is much lower. In total, 535,000 units were sold, which represented 4% of car sales, in 2021.

US manufacturer Tesla remains the leading brand, with 14% of market share, followed by Volkswagen Group (12%) and China's SAIC (11%) and BYD (9%).

In SAIC's case, much of the success must be attributed to its 'low-cost' Wuling Hongguang Mini EV model, which costs around 3,900 euros and was the best-selling model in China last year.

Source: Lusa