Abstract:

Spain is one of the strongest hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) markets in Europe in terms of total sales volumes and relative European market shares. This paper provides an overview of the development of the HEV market in Spain. It quantifies the growth in HEV sales across Spain and its regional markets, and describes key policies at the national, regional, and local levels. The transition to HEVs in Spain is driven largely by a series of regulations and incentives. The Spanish national government, as well as regional and local authorities, implemented a range of measures—including financial incentives, low-emission zones, and awareness-raising campaigns—to spur the uptake of alternative fuel vehicles across all market sectors. At the same time, gasoline and diesel vehicles with high emissions have been gradually subject to higher tax levels or total bans from inner-city low-emission zones. Based on the findings in this report, the following key aspects should be highlighted: (1) The transition to HEVs in Spain is driven largely by a series of push pull regulations and incentives, (2) Over the past three years , regional and local authorities have been the main agents of growth in the Spanish HEV market. From a European and global perspective, Spain is an interesting case study for the uptake of HEVs.