Almost one five vehicles - 19 per cent - sold in the European Union during the third quarter were electric, according to research from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).

This is up from just 5.9 per cent of all vehicles sold in the EU in 2017.

Sales of battery electric vehicles rose 57 per cent to 212,000 units during the quarter, while sales of plug-in hybrid models rose almost 43 per cent to over 197,000 units.

Sales of traditional fossil fuel-based cars dropped sharply; sales of petrol-based vehicles dropped 35 per cent while sales of diesel-based vehicles dropped 50 per cent.

Cars are becoming less C02 intensive across the board; average CO2 emissions from all new passenger cars in the EU have fallen 22.4 per cent since 2010 according to the research, and the average new car in the EU emits 108.2g CO2 per km.

The private sector is ramping up production to meet the increasing demand for EVs. The news comes as Tesla announced earlier this week that its annualised production run rate has hit over one million cars, producing 237,823 vehicles in its last quarter.

“And as we work towards a new era of mobility and a carbon-neutral Europe, innovation remains at the core of our sector’s DNA,” said Eric-Mark Huitema, ACEA director general. “Investing an impressive €62 billion per year, and responsible for a whopping 33 per cent of total EU spending on innovation, the automotive sector has really solidified its position as Europe’s number one investor in R&D.”

He added: “More than ever, we are ready and committed to providing solutions for the challenges of tomorrow.”

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