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Registrations of electric and hybrid vehicles in the grand duchy have also been on the rise, whereas diesel and gasoline continue to lose momentum. Photo: Shutterstock 

Undoubtedly, green is the new black, with sustainable solutions gaining increasing importance and attention in all areas of public and private life. So it should not come as a surprise that the move towards greener and more environmentally friendly options has also reached the automobile industry, not just in Luxembourg, but in the entire EU, according to the ACEA. 

Hoping to reach its goal of 30 million zero-emission vehicles on Europe’s roads by 2030, the European Commission has upped its emission standards whereby cars, in 2030, will have to emit 37.5% less CO2 than they did in 2021, while vans should achieve a decrease of 31%. 

And the effort seems to have borne fruit when looking at the numbers. In 2020, hybrid electric vehicles made up 11.9% of total passenger car sales across the EU, up from 5.7% in 2019. Similarly, electrically-chargeable vehicles accounted for 10.5% of all new car registrations in the EU, compared to 3.0% the year before.

The grand duchy is showing similar tendencies, with electric cars (100% electric and hybrid) accounting for 28.64% of new monthly registrations in January 2021, compared to a mere 13.41% in January 2020. Whereas registrations of diesel and gasoline cars fell by around 5% and almost 10% respectively, according to the SNCA.

In addition to the rules set by the EU, Luxembourg, in 2019, also introduced national incentives in the form of various subsidies for electric and hybrid vehicles as well as a financial support scheme when purchasing and installing electric charging stations.