Mubasher: Electric vehicles sales jumped to a record high in the third quarter of 2017, backed by resurgent demand in China.

Sales of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids surged 63% year-on-year to 287,000 units in Q3-17, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) report on Tuesday.

 Sales of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids increased 23% in the third quarter of the year, compared to the June quarter, the report demonstrated

China accounted for more than half of international sales of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids as its government is at pains to curb air pollution.

BNEF forecasts that international electric vehicle sales to exceed one million units in 2017.

“The Chinese government is very focused on pushing up EV sales,” advanced transport analyst at BNEF Aleksandra O’Donovan said.

“One reason for that is the local pollution levels in the cities, and a second is for China to build domestic heroes to compete internationally in this market,” O’Donovan added.

“The national subsidies can make EVs up to 40 percent cheaper than regular internal combustion cars,” O’Donovan noted.

The UK and France said that they will ban sales of new gasoline and diesel-burning cars by 2040.Netherlands fellow suit, announcing all new cars which will be sold by 2030 will be emissions-free.