Across the Western European market, plug-in electric car sales rose to 12.3% of car sales in 2020, according to auto analyst Matthias Schmidt, while the broader market fell 25% during the pandemic to 1985 levels of just 10.8 million.

In China, meanwhile, EV sales reached 5.4% of the broader market in 2020. Energy economist Gregor McDonald notes this indicates both markets have reached the critical 5% level that is pinned by growth research as a take-off point for new technology.