The number of electric vehicles on the road worldwide reached a record 3.1 million in 2017, and that number is projected to triple by 2019, the International Energy Agency said in a report Wednesday.
The 2017 figure represents a 54 percent increase from the year before.
China accounted for 40 percent of the global total. More than 1 million electric cars were sold in 2017, also a record, and more than half of global sales took place there. China’s government has aggressive incentives in place to encourage electric vehicle sales and use.
The U.S. had the second-highest amount of electric cars sold, with about 280,000 in 2017, up from 160,000 in 2016. A total of 17 million vehicles of all types were sold in the U.S. in 2017, and global sales were more than 85 million.
The IEA predicted there will be more than 13 million electric vehicles in use globally by 2020, and 125 million by 2030.
“Dynamic market uptake of electric vehicles has occurred in recent years,” the IEA said. “Ongoing support and commitments for increased deployment of EVs from policy makers and the automotive industry suggest that this trend is not going to abate in the coming decade.”
The IEA credited cheaper batteries for helping bring down the cost of electric vehicles, and improved charging infrastructure that makes them more convenient to drive.
But the IEA noted that new policy from the Trump administration could dampen electric vehicle sales. The Environmental Protection Agency last month rejected strict Obama administration fuel efficiency standards, ruling them “not appropriate” because the agency says automakers can’t achieve them.
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“This new decision will likely reduce the uptake of electric cars at a national level,” IEA said.
The Obama administration’s fuel-efficiency and greenhouse gas rules for cars and light trucks set a 54-mile per gallon standard by 2025, up from the current average of 38.3 mpg.
The Trump administration is expected to propose new, weaker standards in the coming weeks, arguing that drivers in recent years have favored bigger, less fuel-efficient cars as gasoline prices have fallen, so manufacturers are having difficulty hitting the fuel-efficiency targets, and consumers aren’t buying green cars.
Battery-powered cars cost thousands of dollars more than most gasoline vehicles.
But as the Trump administration seeks to weaken fuel standards, many automakers have announced new electric models. For example, General Motors CEO Mary Barra has renewed a pledge to offer 20 new fully electric vehicles globally by 2023.
