Government incentive programs and soaring gasoline prices are driving European consumers toward electric vehicles - even in countries where these cars have previously played a marginal role. Online marketplace operators report rising demand not only in Germany, France, and other nations where EVs have long been part of the landscape. In Italy, Spain, and Poland, an increasing number of car buyers are also opting for electric mobility. Some industry experts now believe the technology has reached a tipping point. 'This is not a one-off spike; this is a turning point,' said Gurjeet Grewal, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles.

According to data from the research firm New Automotive and the industry association E-Mobility Europe, which represents EV manufacturers, suppliers, and fleet operators, electric vehicle sales in the 15 most important European nations rose by more than a third in April. A total of over 200,000 new EVs were registered last month, accounting for more than a fifth of all new registrations. While Germany remains the highest-volume market, the strongest growth since the beginning of the year has been recorded in Italy. Buyers in Spain and Poland are also increasingly choosing EVs. 'The April figures show that the European electric vehicle market is gaining serious momentum,' said Chris Heron, Secretary General of E-Mobility Europe.

Demand is particularly high for affordable entry-level models. According to Sales Chief Erik Severinsson, Volvo is seeing rising demand especially for the small EX30 SUV. He noted that this model is positioned in a segment where customers react most strongly to changes in fuel prices. Interest is also growing in Southern Europe. Markus Haupt, responsible for the Seat and Cupra brands within the Volkswagen Group, said that electric vehicles now account for 60 percent of Cupra orders in Germany. His company had already planned to ramp up production in light of the launch of the Raval electric subcompact. 'We have a production budget for this year ... but we may have to increase the share of electric cars,' he said. At Renault, electric vehicles accounted for half of total sales in April. According to an insider, production is now set to be increased.

Further gains are expected in the coming weeks, judging by search queries on online marketplaces. Octopus Electric Vehicles in the UK reports demand for new EVs is twice as high as a year ago. On the Carwow platform in Germany, electric cars now make up three-quarters of configurations, compared to just 40 percent before the Iran conflict. 'Based on current Carwow data, we observe that the high level of demand has now stabilized and is increasingly taking on a structural character,' said Carwow Managing Director Philipp Sayler von Amende. The strong momentum of Chinese manufacturers is also striking. For instance, within a year, BYD has evolved from a niche brand to the fourth most requested EV brand on Carwow, following Volkswagen, Skoda, and Dacia. 'Our data thus shows not only a shift in powertrain types but also an increasing change in the competitive landscape,' he said.

Interest is even rising in Romania. The Romanian website OLX recorded more than three times as many inquiries for electric cars in April. 'The Iran conflict has fundamentally changed how people assess energy supply,' said OLX CEO Christian Gisy. 'Europeans have moved from 'maybe someday' to 'right now' regarding electric cars.'

(Report by Christina Amann. Edited by Olaf Brenner. For inquiries, please contact our editorial office at Berlin.Newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or Frankfurt.Newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets)

- by Nick Carey, Marie Mannes, and Christina Amann