With climates becoming more extreme around the world, many people are considering what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint. One major way that people can make a difference is through the use of Electric Vehicles (EVs), which had been steadily increasing in popularity over the past decade, but saw a global surge in 2021. The general cost of living crisis has also caused people to consider if there is a more affordable transportation option as global fuel costs rapidly increase. Car manufacturers, ranging from affordable to luxury brands, have created EVs that are gradually becoming more commonplace on our streets.

The event, typically held on the first Tuesday of May, is based around an annual theme chosen by GINA to help educate those diagnosed with asthma and their families on how best to get control over asthma and other allergic diseases.

Although electric cars have been in development for several decades, it was the popularity of the hybrid engine powered Toyota Prius that introduced the concept of alternative fuel options into the public consciousness. Eco conscious celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Tom Hanks began to be photographed getting out of their hybrids in California, and contributed to the Prius becoming the biggest selling car in the state in 2012. Since then, consumers have been more open to considering fully electric vehicles, reaching 17.5 million of EV stock globally in 2021 – a jump of nearly 7 million from the previous year. China has the biggest stock of EVs but as a percentage of total vehicles, this actually only represents about 2.6% of cars currently in use. The leading light on EV use is Norway, with an incredible 22% of vehicle stock being electric.

So what can we learn from Norway about getting more fossil fuel burning cars off the road?

The key is government buy in and incentives to go green. Norway’s government lowered taxes on EVs enough to make them affordable to anyone who was looking to buy a new car and made EVs exempt from road tolls. To further increase the cost benefits for going electric, the Norwegian government increased taxation on traditional cars, including a carbon tax of around 20%. Both of these actions caused an accelerated uptake of EVs, which also forced the government to invest in the infrastructure around fuelling cars in a very different way, with easily accessible, abundant charging stations around the country and not just in large towns and cities. In 2021, of the new vehicles sold, over 86% were an EV or a plug-in hybrid. Behind all this, Norway also has an established renewable electricity supply via around 1,500 hydroelectric power stations, which provides 96% of Norway’s electricity.

Globally, the whole of Scandinavia are making the most progress in encouraging consumers to make the switch, but other countries are finding the reliance on oil far more challenging, particularly the United States and Middle Eastern countries whose economy relies heavily on its trade. Without government incentives, it is often a difficult cultural change to make, but many benefits are now available to consumers, particularly in the form of tax incentives. Check your local tax rules or see if your employer has an electric car scheme to see if you could be saving money and protecting the environment by making the switch.

Here are the top ten biggest selling EVs and plug in hybrids in Europe for 2022 so far:

  1. Tesla Model 3
  2. Kia e-Niro
  3. Fiat 500 Electric
  4. Peugeot 3008 PHEV
  5. Tesla Model Y
  6. Audi Q4 e-tron
  7. Hyundai Ioniq 5
  8. Hyundai Kona Electric
  9. Renault ZOE
  10. BMW 3-Series PHEV