Global EV sales nearly triple in H1 2021 – Wood Mackenzie

China and Europe leading growth markets but sales in US see only modest increase

Global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) nearly tripled in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2020, displacing internal combustion engine sales at the fastest rate seen to date, consultancy Wood Mackenzie says. H1 sales of EV passenger cars doubled compared with 2020 and now account for 7pc of that market. But some of the increase in EV sales can be attributed to a slowdown in 2020 caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. “The current trend points to levels slightly over 6mn for the full year, with year-long sales exceeding 2.5mn each in China and in Europe,” says Ram Chandrasekaran, Wood Mackenzie’s head of road transportation. 7pc – EV share of global passenger car m