Spain reports big rise in sales of electric, hybrid cars

The Spanish Association of Car Producers (ANFAC) on Wednesday confirmed that the number of electric and hybrid cars sold in Spain spiked in 2016.

ANFAC confirmed there was a 51.5-percent rise in the sale of electric cars in the country over the past year, and a 68-percent increase in the number of hybrids sold.

However, the number of new electric cars and hybrids was still low, with just 35,765 of the 1,147,007 new cars on the road in 2016 falling into those categories, or just 2.6 percent of the total market.

A total of 4,746 electric cars were purchased over the year, while 31,019 additional hybrids took to the road over the 12-month period.

Vehicles which use alternative energy need greater promotion to increase their importance in the market as a whole, according to the association.

The association appealed for support measures to improve and extend the infrastructure for recharging this kind of vehicle to ensure they have a greater presence in the market, and highlighted the major role they can play in improving air quality in Spain's cities. Endit