Electric vehicle sales picked up across much of Europe in July, as high oil prices, government subsidies and the availability of more affordable models pushed more drivers to abandon combustion-engine cars, according to industry data.
EV sales have soared across Europe since the Iran war began in February and caused pain at the pump. The big question for many in the auto industry is whether consumer interest will fade if and when oil prices retreat, while a lack of public charging options remains a major concern.
"People are looking for ways to protect themselves from volatility in fuel prices, and EVs are a great way to do that," Renault U.K. managing director Adam Wood told Reuters at the French automaker's dealership in Letchworth, 40 miles (64 km) north of London.
"We're at a tipping point where EVs ... are part of the mainstream."
Two years ago, just 10% of Renault's U.K. sales were electric. By contrast, in July this year EVs made up more than 50% of the company's orders and the Renault 5 – a revived version of the top-selling Renault model originally launched in 1972 – was last month Britain's best-selling electric car, its original boxy shape having evolved into a more curvy design offering what Renault's website says is a range of up to 250 miles.
