Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

Global sales of electric drive and electric-assisted vans and buses are expected to increase by a factor of ten by 2023, according to a new report from Navigant Research. The US-based research and consulting company believes that prospects for the market are good, even if global penetration will remain relatively low.

 

Today, the main challenge for manufacturers of commercial EVs is finding a way to reduce the battery size while ensuring sufficient autonomy. According to the new report, entitled “Electric Drive Trucks and Buses", technological advances by 2023 will have addressed this issue, while also offering low costs of operation. Furthermore, cities worldwide will increasingly enforce low-emission zones, making electric vehicles more attractive. For these reasons, the report estimates that the number of electric and hybrid commercial vehicles will rise from less than 16,000 in 2014 to around 160,000 in 2023.

 

The Asia Pacific region will be responsible for the majority of these sales, while Western Europe will have the highest penetration with 9.6% of medium and heavy duty vehicles set to be electric or hybrid by 2023. Japan is expected to be the country with the most significant sales penetration rate, with 21.2%, and the most popular type of electric commercial vehicle between now and 2023 will be the diesel hybrid, according to the report.