Icelandic motorists are rapidly switching to electric cars. According to data from the Icelandic Transport Authority 16.58% of all cars bought for private use during the first eight months of 2017 were either pure electric vehicles or hybrids. This represents a sizeable increase over last year. In 2016 electric vehicles made up 5.8% of all cars sold.
Read more: Explosion in new registrations of electric cars in Iceland
According to data from the Transport Authority a total of 1,253 hybrid vehicles were sold in January-August of this year, and 576 pure electric vehicles. Hybrids made up 11.4% of total car sales for private use, and pure electric vehicles made up 5.2% of the total.
Car rentals lagging behind consumers
Electric cars made up a somewhat smaller share of the total number of passenger vehicles, as these figures do not account for vehicles bought by car rentals. Car rentals have bought only a handful of electric cars in 2017. If automobiles bought by car rentals and corporations are included in the figures electric cars made up 8.8% of total car sales.
The Icelandic government has exempted electric cars from import duties and taxes to make them more affordable and appealing. Other steps have been taken to make electric cars more appealing to consumers. Changes to building codes now require multi-home apartment buildings include charging outlets for electric cars in their car parks and the City of Reykjavík will be installing free charging stations at parking garages in the city.
Read more: Minister of Environment announces ambitious plan to make Icelandic cars electric by 2030
However, in order to speed up the adoption of electricity in road transportation in Iceland it is also crucial to get car rentals to adopt electric cars. The Transport Authority points out that the primary reason car rentals have not switched to electric vehicles is the lack of rapid-charging stations around the Ring Road.
Icelandic motorists are rapidly switching to electric cars. According to data from the Icelandic Transport Authority 16.58% of all cars bought for private use during the first eight months of 2017 were either pure electric vehicles or hybrids. This represents a sizeable increase over last year. In 2016 electric vehicles made up 5.8% of all cars sold.
Read more: Explosion in new registrations of electric cars in Iceland
According to data from the Transport Authority a total of 1,253 hybrid vehicles were sold in January-August of this year, and 576 pure electric vehicles. Hybrids made up 11.4% of total car sales for private use, and pure electric vehicles made up 5.2% of the total.
Car rentals lagging behind consumers
Electric cars made up a somewhat smaller share of the total number of passenger vehicles, as these figures do not account for vehicles bought by car rentals. Car rentals have bought only a handful of electric cars in 2017. If automobiles bought by car rentals and corporations are included in the figures electric cars made up 8.8% of total car sales.
The Icelandic government has exempted electric cars from import duties and taxes to make them more affordable and appealing. Other steps have been taken to make electric cars more appealing to consumers. Changes to building codes now require multi-home apartment buildings include charging outlets for electric cars in their car parks and the City of Reykjavík will be installing free charging stations at parking garages in the city.
Read more: Minister of Environment announces ambitious plan to make Icelandic cars electric by 2030
However, in order to speed up the adoption of electricity in road transportation in Iceland it is also crucial to get car rentals to adopt electric cars. The Transport Authority points out that the primary reason car rentals have not switched to electric vehicles is the lack of rapid-charging stations around the Ring Road.
