Driving an electric vehicle is now a viable option in an increasing number of European countries but some markets are decidedly more prepared than others. Research carried out by LeasePlan for its EV Readiness Index 2019 looked at the maturity of the EV market (also including plug-in hybrids), the maturity of EV infrastructure, government incentives and LeasePlan’s experience with EVs in each country.
The findings show that that Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Austria are now the best-prepared countries in Europe for electric vehicle take-up. The analysis also found that Austria, Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands scored the highest in terms of government support for EVs, including purchase subsidies, registration tax benefits, ownership tax benefits, company tax benefits, and VAT benefits.
Tex Gunning, CEO of LeasePlan, commented: “Policymakers need to step up and take concerted action on vehicle taxation and infrastructure to make driving electric a viable option for everyone across Europe. Although our EV Readiness Index shows that electric driving is becoming a viable option in an increasing number of countries, we still have a long way to go before we get everyone driving electric. Transitioning to electric is one of the simplest things we can all do to help tackle climate change and everyone should be able to afford to go green!”