- Mobility Sweden’s July sales statistics show pure EVs accounted for 37.5% of total sales, the largest grouped category.
- Combined with plug-in hybrids, the figure rose to a majority 59.9% share.
- The statistics also show that BYD’s Atto was the best selling EV in the country last month, beating European rivals.
The EU’s 2035 deadline may be far, but Sweden is already heavily embracing EVs
Mobility Sweden’s monthly passenger car sales report shows that in July, rechargeable cars accounted for 59.9% of cars sold last month in the country. Split down, 37.5% of total sales were pure electric, and plug-in hybrids made up 22.4%. That compares to 22.6% for pure petrol cars and only 8.4% for diesels.
For comparison, let’s take a look at the UK’s passenger car sales for July. 16% of cars sold were pure electric, while plug-in hybrids made up 8.1% of cars delivered, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
When breaking down Sweden’s year-to-date sales figures for all internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric cars, the Tesla Model Y was the best selling car in the country so far, with 8,901 cars sold. That mirrors the car’s record of being the best selling car in all of Europe for the first half of this year.
The report notes that EV sales records in Sweden were significantly helped by the business market, but that the private electric car market is still “ice cold”, and that the number of plug-in cars sold has lost momentum since the country scrapped its EV subsidies last year.
Chinese brand BYD takes the EV lead in Sweden for July
When it comes to Sweden’s pure EV sales for July alone, BYD’s Atto 3 took the crown with 721 registrations last month. This was closely tailed by 710 registrations of the Volkswagen ID.4, and 385 BMW i4s. BYD’s feat is particularly impressive when considering that the brand only launched its electric car range in Europe last year, and has still managed to topple long-established manufacturers off the monthly sales charts. This was no doubt helped by its competitive starting price for an electric SUV of 445,000 Swedish krona (approximately €38,000).
These impressive figures don’t come without infrastructure for EVs that helps instill confidence in new electric car buyers. Sweden has over 16,000 chargepoints nationwide, and ranked a joint third place alongside the UK, Austria, and Luxembourg on ALD | LeasePlan’s 2023 EV Readiness Index.
