In December, data showed SUVs on course to account for more than 45% of global car sales in 2021.
Laura Cozzi and Apostolos Petropoulos report for IEA on global trends in automobile sales, including headlining trends in electric vehicle (EV) and SUV sales.
First EV sales, which Cozzi and Petropoulus have proven resilient from the market disruptions of the pandemic: "In a few key car markets – such as Germany (above 34%), the United Kingdom (28%), France (over 23%) and China (18%) – the market share of electric cars reached record levels as of late November."
Busales of gas guzzling SUVs are even more resilient, "meeting the most optimistic expectations," while selling five times as many vehicles as EVs. "In 2021, SUVs are on course to account for more than 45% of global car sales – setting a new record in terms of both volume and market share," according to the article.
"The growth of SUVs continues to be robust in several countries, including the United States, India and across Europe. In some other countries, such as China, the growth of SUVs is stagnating, mainly driven by the big rise of small battery-powered electric cars."
More trends on automobile industry trends are included in the source article, including an explanation of the negative consequences of SUV popularity on efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
Read the full story: Global SUV sales set another record in 2021, setting back efforts to reduce emissions
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