Growth of 1,200% in electric vehicles expected by 2030

As many as 40m electric vehicles should be on Europe's roads by 2040. Picture: Denis Minihane.

Every 10th new car sold in Europe at the end of 2020 was either a pure electric or plug-in hybrid, with sales of electric vehicles (EVs) passing the 1m mark before the end of the year.

Such figures are evidence that Europe is at the cusp of a "massive evolution" in the future of transport and is a decisive turning point in achieving up to 40% of EV sales by 2030, thereby putting Europe’s carbon-reduction targets within reach, a major two-day conference has heard.