Sales of electric cars clearly lower – despite strong demand

During the first six months of the year, sales of electric cars decreased sharply. The total number of cars sold, which includes both new and used sales, amounted to 51,240 vehicles. This is a decrease of 7.6 percent. Behind the decline was a decrease in new sales, but sales of used cars continued to increase.

New car sales are declining and used car sales are increasing

35,744 new electric cars were sold to end customers during the first half of the year. 10,372 fewer than in the same period last year – a decrease of 22.5 percent. At the same time, used car sales increased sharply, with 6,211 more vehicles sold, corresponding to 66.6 percent. However, this meant a total decrease in sales of 4,212 vehicles (-7.6%).

– Higher interest rates and the abolition of the climate bonus have made financing a new electric car much more expensive. Many have turned to the second-hand market, where prices are lower, but this has not been able to fully compensate for the weak new sales, says our sales manager Daniel Odsberg. He continues:

– There is now much evidence that interest rates are on the way down and that household purchasing power will increase. This gives hope that new sales may begin to recover, which is important for the flow in the car market. As more people replace their older electric cars with new models, supply on the second-hand market increases and the transition is accelerated.

Skåne at the bottom – Gotland at the top

The largest sales decline was recorded in Skåne, where 5,878 electric cars were sold during the period, a decrease of 1,281 vehicles or 17.9 percent. Västra Götaland County and Uppsala County also experienced a sharp decline in sales, with 465 and 371 fewer vehicles sold respectively. However, in percentage terms, the decline was largest in Norrbotten and Västernorrland counties, with decreases of 23.0 and 22.7 percent respectively.

Only two counties, Jönköping and Gotland, showed an increase, with Gotland having the largest percentage increase of 7.3 percent.

– Gotland is one of the counties that has seen the fastest increase in electric cars in recent years, so it doesn't surprise me, says Odsberg.

When more people get electric cars, it will be natural for others to do so too, he says.

– Seeing neighbors and friends switch to electric cars makes more people realize that an electric car meets their needs at least as well as a fossil-fueled car. Development has been rapid, and today a range of 400-500 kilometers is standard for most newer models, which is more than enough for most people. For those who primarily need a car for commuting and can also charge at work, range becomes even less of a concern, which also means that the investment does not have to be particularly expensive.

Sales statistics electric cars

The figures refer to both new registrations and used cars at the location where the buyer is registered.

About the compilation
Kvdbil 's statistics on car volumes in Sweden are obtained from the statistics company Vroom's compilation of registration data.