Electric vehicles will save the planet; at least, that is what the left and the green energy activists tell us. Recent events, including layoffs by General Motors and an open letter from car dealers to the Biden Administration urging a brief pause in the inevitable transition to EVs, have underscored a disconnect between what the government and what the left tells us we need and what the public actually wants.
Sales of electric vehicles in America have been sluggish, and inventory is piling up on dealer lots. Public confidence in the costly vehicles has been steadily eroding as nightmare stories about fires, breakdowns, limited range, and costly repairs have been spooking the buying public into sticking with reliable gasoline-powered vehicles. Recent events, including the recall of virtually every Tesla sold in the United States, have many thinking twice.
However, America isn’t the only country struggling with the transition. One of the more progressive countries in Europe is seeing a shocking reduction in new EV sales. The new plug-in car market in Germany is off 40% for November. For the month, EV registrations decreased a reported 22% from 2022. Plug-in hybrids also decreased for the eleventh month in a row, dropping 59% from 2022. While there are numerous reasons, chief amongst those are the dwindling incentives being offered by the German government.
Germany had been offering aggressive EV incentives for buyers, much like the United States has, but since those can’t last forever, they are slowly running out, and with them so are sales. Even the most beloved German brands are struggling. Volkswagon, the most iconic of the German brands is lagging behind Mercedes Benz in the fully electric segment, while still leading sales in the plug-in hubrid market. Overall, the Tesla Model Y remains the best selling electric car in Germany, with Volkswagon trailing by more than 10,000 units.
The website elektrek broke down the problem: “Sales of new plug-in (EV or PHEV) vehicles in Germany in September 2023 took a massive hit as the country’s EV subsidies continued time-gated phaseouts, based on data analyzed by InsideEVs. Specifically, business subsidies for EV purchases were eliminated entirely as of September 1, 2023 — and the result was a 35% reduction in all plug-in registrations year over year for the month of September. BEV registrations, as compared to the total figure (i.e., including PHEVs), dropped 29% in the same period. As of this time, total plug-in sales in Germany are still up 5% in 2023 compared to 2022, but that puts the market perilously close to backsliding.”
As of now private buyers in Germany are still eligible for some incentives, but in January of 2024 many of those incentives will run out, leaving consumers to make a hard choice. Economically, the EU continues to struggle. Much like America, consumers are being forced to make tough choices between putting food on the table and buying a pricey new EV. Without incentives, many buyers simply don’t care enough to go total electric.
Specifically in the United States, many folks believe the climate issue is manufactured by the left to line the pockets of special interest groups, and simply aren’t willing to spend the money on a costly, unreliable electric alternative. Government incentives haven’t necessarily worked on America, and until there is a nationwide charging infrastructure as well as more affordable, reliable options, it is likely to remain gasoline-powered vehicles for the win in the United States.
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