Denmark reports astonishing increase in the sale of green vehicles

Almost every fourth newly registered car in the first quarter of 2021 was hybrid or electric

This week, the Danish Ministry of Taxation released statistics on this year’s newly registered green and diesel cars. The data reveals an incredible surge in the sale of electric and hybrid vehicles, proving that Denmark’s green transition is steadily advancing.

More specifically, the Ministry disclosed that in the first quarter of 2021, 23.9% of newly registered vehicles were green. In other words, almost every fourth car was either electric or hybrid. Comparing this to the sales in 2020, one can see that this is an astonishing increase. That is, in the first quarter of last year, green vehicles accounted for only 8.9% of all newly registered cars.

1 million green cars by 2030

In December 2020, the Danish government agreed on the green conversion of road transport. This agreement set several ambitious goals and targets as it strives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% and have 1 million low or zero-emission vehicles on the roads by 2030.

In a press release, the Minister of Taxation Morten Bødskov commented on the statistics and the aforementioned agreement: “It is a very nice increase in sales of green cars, which emphasises that we are on the right track. The effect of the agreement on a green conversion of road transport from December is clear.”

The Minister also noted that this data bodes well for the future as technological developments and advancements will further encourage Danes to opt for green vehicles. Taking a case in point, one of the reasons behind this year’s surge in the sale of green cars is the increase in their production and supply.  

Climate-friendly choices

As Danes begin to make more environmentally friendly choices, the demand for diesel cars is rapidly decreasing. As a result, the market will inevitably change and replace these vehicles with ones that are hybrid and electric.

Taking this further, it is important to note that the first quarter of 2021 resulted in the sale of approximately 5,000 cars less than in the same period last year. Moreover, the sale of diesel and petrol cars decreased by 6,000 and 5,400, respectively.

According to Bødskov, the statistics testify to the fact that Danes care about their actions and how they impact the climate.