Analysis of the data finds that only 5,222 Europe-wide EV registrations were recorded in H1 of 2011. Although the uptake of Electric Vehicle’s is not perhaps as quick as some would have expected, total registration figures for H1 2011 are 90.3% higher compared to those of H1 2010.

Spain (€6,500) and Great Britain (€6,400) have almost identical subsidies but GB registered almost five times the volume of EVs (599 to 122) in H1.

Sweden registered an almost identical volume of Electric Vehicles to Spain (111), however, subsidises with subsidies of each vehicle only totalling €470.

More surprisingly, Denmark would appear to be a haven for EVs in Europe with tax exclusions that can potentially amount to €20,588 per vehicle. However, only 283 registrations were recorded in H1 (or 0.32% of all vehicles registered in the country).

Gareth Hession, vice president for research at JATO, commented: ‘The discrepancies highlight the apparently low influence of price on purchase decisions across the region. Given this it’s reasonable to conclude that sales are more affected by other factors such as the degree of urban geography, market maturity and charging infrastructure than was previously thought.

‘It’s clear that the EV market is set for significant growth and we are at the early stages of its development. As the market matures we might expect subsidies to exert greater influence as other considerations such as charging infrastructure are addressed.

‘As it stands today, even the large subsidies don’t address the majority of end user concerns around real world application, flexibility and fitness for purpose. It will be critical for manufacturers to better understand these factors if they are to maximise customer engagement and sales growth.

‘The research might suggest that the price of EVs is still too high to be accessible to the mainstream market in Europe. In addition at this early stage in the market’s development the current sales figures could also be skewed by contracts between manufacturers, local government, and large institutions designed to raise the profile of EVs.’