European EV sales surged more than 50% year-on-year last month, as buyers turned away from petrol cars because of soaring fuel prices. EVs now make up almost a third of sales on the continent, with even mega luxury brands joining the shift: Bentley announced its first electric car yesterday.
A jump in fuel prices this year, driven by the wars in Ukraine and the Gulf, has already fostered EV adoption elsewhere, too, with the US expected to see sales jump despite the Trump administration axing tax incentives for the clean technology. The rapid transition has caught some off-guard, however: South Africa, the continent’s biggest car manufacturer, is racing to modify its production base away from internal combustion engines.
