Europe is more ready than ever for the EV revolution
The latest findings from LeasePlan’s 2021 EV Readiness Index point to a rapid increase in EV preparedness across Europe, although charging infrastructure is still falling short.
The Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom continue to be the best prepared countries in Europe for the electric vehicle revolution, and overall Europe is more ready than ever for the EV revolution. Charging infrastructure, however, continues to be a major roadblock, with the rate of charging pole installation actually falling in 2020.
These are the conclusions of LeasePlan’s 2021 EV Readiness Index – a comprehensive analysis of the preparedness of 22 European countries for the electric vehicle revolution. The Index is based on three factors: EV registrations, the maturity of EV infrastructure, and government incentives in each country.
According to the study, almost all countries show an improved score compared to last year, signalling increased EV readiness across the continent, although improvements vary greatly between Western and Eastern Europe. It is also clear that EVs have never been more affordable. In 11 countries, EVs are already cheaper than their ICE counterparts on a total cost of ownership (TCO) basis. In addition, EV drivers pay on average only 63% of the tax that ICE drivers pay. Austria, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Poland and the UK are leading the charge: in these countries, EV drivers pay no driver tax at all.
Despite these advances, charging infrastructure is still lagging and will be key to improving EV readiness going forward. Although some progress was made in 2020 on charging infrastructure, the rate of improvement actually dropped compared to last year (43% increase in 2020 compared to 73% increase in 2019). Even in top-ranked countries, charging infrastructure remains far from adequate.
To read the full 2021 EV Readiness Index, visit LeasePlan Corporation N.V. | LeasePlan’s 2021 EV Readiness Index