Luxembourg's dealerships are seeing a marked rise in interest in electric mobility, according to Gerry Wagner, spokesperson for the House of Automobile.
"Even now, we already notice more people coming into dealerships and asking what electromobility really means and what it costs", Wagner told RTL. "The numbers have yet to reflect this, as there's always a delay between purchase and delivery, but customers are asking many more questions than before."
The shift is most visible in new registrations. Over the past two years, diesel has lost more than 7% of its market share, while plug-in hybrids and fully electric cars have gained 3.6% .
"In the last quarter, 36% of new registrations were electric or hybrid vehicles. Purely electric cars now make up 10% of the fleet," Wagner said. "The trend is clearly moving in the right direction, and energy prices are likely to accelerate this shift even further in the coming months."
Interest is also growing on the second-hand market: "6% of used cars registered were electric, up from 4% previously", Wagner said.
He said this has a knock-on effect: as demand for used electric vehicles grows, their residual value rises, which makes buying a new one more attractive. "People know they will be able to resell the vehicle later at a reasonable price."
Leasing is also helping. One electric car, for example, can be leased for €178 per month, including winter tyres and a €2,500 upfront payment.
Design is another factor. "Recently, it’s become harder to tell models apart on the road. Many new models look very similar, making it difficult for brands to stand out", Wagner said. At the recent Paris Motor Show, however, French manufacturers in particular showed more distinctive, even "sexy" designs.
European carmakers also face growing competition from Chinese brands, which now account for around 36% of Europe's electric and plug-in hybrid market. Price remains one of their main selling points.
