Electric vehicles will represent 94% of new car sales by 2040, says Piper

After assembling a brand-by-brand, region-by-region forecast, Piper Sandler analyst Alexander Potter thinks battery electric vehicles will represent 18% of new vehicle sales in 2025, 45% in 2030 and 94% by 2040. This equates to 18M units in 2025, 45M units in 2030 and 81M units in 2040, Potter tells investors in a research note. He believes China and Europe should lead the transition, with battery electric vehicles representing around a quarter of sales in 2025. By the mid/late 2020s, the analyst thinks all global regions "will be embracing BEVs with gusto." He expects Tesla (TSLA) and newly-formed battery electric vehicles specialists to win share in the coming years. Among incumbents, Volkswagen (VWAGY), General Motors (GM) and Hyundai Motor (HYMTF) are best positioned, says Potter. Tesla is still his favorite way to invest in rising battery electric vehicle sales.