In 2023, the total number of passenger electric vehicles in Russia increased by 75% to 40 thousand, writes Kommersant, citing traffic police data. The growth dynamics in different regions are noticeably different and in some are significantly higher than the national average: in Moscow the number of electric vehicles has increased sevenfold, in the Kaliningrad region – threefold, in the Moscow region – doubled.
According to the statistical section of the traffic police website, the total number of passenger electric vehicles registered with the traffic police at the end of 2023 increased by 75% over the year, from 22.5 thousand to 39.7 thousand. If we evaluate the growth dynamics, then in 2019 there were 2.8 thousand electric vehicles in the country, in 2020 – 7.5 thousand, in 2021 – 14 thousand. In some regions, the growth rate of the electric vehicle fleet is much higher – in Moscow, the number of electric vehicles in 2023 increased from 1.65 thousand to 7.34 thousand, in the Kaliningrad region – from 304 to 970, in the Moscow region – from 1.17 thousand to 2.77 thousand, in St. Petersburg – from 1 thousand to 2 thousand, Tatarstan – from 443 to 914, in the Krasnodar Territory – from 1.64 thousand to 2.74 thousand.
In the Primorsky Territory, with a slight increase in the number of electric vehicles (from 2 thousand to 2.1 thousand units), the number of hybrid cars increased noticeably – from 27 thousand to 37 thousand. In the Irkutsk region, interest in hybrids also increased significantly (increase from 7.2 thousand to 12.6 thousand units). In total, the number of hybrid cars in Russia increased by 61% over the year, from 135 thousand to 219 thousand units.
The country's passenger car fleet grew from 50.6 to 51.5 million, meaning electric vehicles make up only 0.07% of the total number of vehicles. There are also 604 electric buses registered in Russia (in 2022 there were 160) and 150 electric trucks (49 in 2022).
According to the “Concept for the development of production and use of electric road transport until 2030” adopted in 2021, the share of electric vehicles among all vehicles produced in the Russian Federation is planned to be increased to 10%, as well as 72 thousand charging stations and 1 thousand hydrogen filling stations will be put into operation.
The Moscow Department of Transport predicts a further increase in the number of electric vehicles in Moscow. There are now more than 3 thousand charging stations in the capital. “The city will continue to encourage Muscovites to choose personal electric transport,” the department said. “We will continue to place urban charging stations, and by 2030 their number will increase to 30 thousand.”
Sergei Udalov from Avtostat said that among the main reasons for the growth of the electric vehicle fleet is the increase in sales of new electric vehicles. He noted that in 2023, 14.1 thousand new electric vehicles were sold in Russia, which is 4.7 times higher than in 2022.
Experts are divided on the prospects for the electric vehicle market in Russia. Udalov expects sales to continue to grow by about 1.8-2 times this year, noting that sales are being held back by a lack of chargers, especially outside big cities. In turn, the editor-in-chief of the Za Rulem magazine, Maxim Kadakov, said that he does not see “explosive potential for electric vehicles in Russia in the coming years.” “The main problem is not the charging stations that everyone is talking about, but the fact that electric cars are 30–40% more expensive than similar cars with gasoline engines. Therefore, this is not a market story for us yet. And even preferential car loans will not help here. There are currently no electric vehicles at a price of 1.5–2 million rubles, and the situation is unlikely to be corrected by the electric Lada Largus, which will obviously cost more than 2 million rubles,” the expert noted.
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