Number of electric cars in Czechia rose 45% to over 20,000 in first three quarters

The number of battery electric cars registered in Czechia rose by 49 percent in the first three quarters of this year, an increase of 6,268 to 20,323 passenger cars. A quarter of these were registered as used cars, while three quarters of the electric cars were registered to companies. Tesla was the most popular brand among newly registered battery electric cars, with 1,545 registrations, followed by Škoda with 1,034. The figures were reported in a press release by the Brno-based Transport Research Centre (CDV).

People and companies in Prague accounted for the most new registrations this year, with 8,053, or 40 percent of all newly registered cars. People in Central Bohemia registered 3,784 electric cars, and those in the South Moravian Region registered 1,885.

Alongside battery electric cars, the number of plug-in hybrids on Czech roads is also growing. By the end of the third quarter, 12,527 had been registered, including 4,142 this year. Škoda was the most common brand, with 2,589 cars, followed by BMW with 1,693 registered cars. Of all registered plug-in hybrids, 13.9 percent were used cars, and almost 80 percent were registered to companies.

Hydrogen fuel-cell cars remain rare in Czechia, with just 25 registered, including 13 this year. The vast majority of these cars—18—are registered in Prague.

According to the latest data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, more than 1.1 million new electric passenger cars were registered across the European Union in the first nine months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 55 percent. Germany led in new registrations with 387,000, followed by France with 205,000 cars and the Netherlands with 85,000 electric cars. The Czech Republic ranked second to last among EU countries for the share of new battery electric passenger car registrations, at 2.8 percent, ahead of Slovakia.

„The latest European data show an interesting decline in the share of plug-in hybrid vehicles in favor of battery electric cars. While their shares were almost equal in 2020 and 2021, battery electric cars have taken the lead this year and last, accounting for 14 percent, compared with just 7.5 percent for plug-in hybrids. One reason may be the reduction of support in some countries, but also the gradual decline in battery electric car prices, for example at Tesla, as well as the availability of more affordable models,“ said CDV Director Jindřich Frič.