Over 5% of new cars sold are now electric in 23 countries, according to an analysis from Kelley Blue Book.
Since last year’s analysis, more countries have surpassed the 5% mark in EV sales, including Australia, Canada, Hungary, Spain, Thailand, and the United States.
Researchers with Bloomberg Green have described that 5% mark as a sign of mass adoption, with analysts saying that it could take only four years for EV sales to rise from 5% to 25%. In the U.S., 7.2% of all new car sales in the last quarter were EVs, according to Cox Automotive.
Though the U.S. is now catching up, it has lagged in the adoption of EVs due to drivers traveling longer ranges, as well as the country’s system of electric grids operated by regional providers proving more difficult to work with than the single-grid, one-provider system used by many other countries.
EV sales in the U.S. are on the rise nonetheless, with them being up by 42% in the second quarter compared to the same time a year prior.
