EV Sales in Europe - Like Polar Bear Clubs in January

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Ah. Mark in Germany, a regular in the comments here, and I were on the same page this morning when he xweeted me this story. I’d just read it myself and was kinda smiling, as you might imagine.

GREEN GREEN GREEN Germany. And France. And Ursula von der Leyen’s big climate cult plans.

How’s that working out for them?

NICHT SEHR GUT

Well, that sounds bad, doesn’t it?

What’s the buzz. Tell me what’s a’ happenin’.

Oh, dear. So much for a plan.

Germany has suffered a “spectacular” drop in electric car sales as the European Union faces growing calls to delay its net zero vehicle targets.

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) said sales of new battery-powered electric vehicles (EV) in Germany plunged by nearly 70pc to 27,024 in August.

In France, the EU’s second largest market for battery electric vehicles behind Germany, deliveries fell by 33pc to 13,143.

ACEA said “the spectacular drop” in both countries meant that only 92,627 battery electric vehicles were registered across Europe last month, a fall of 43.9pc compared to a year earlier. This drove a wider 18pc drop in new car sales across the EU.

The collapse in EV sales comes amid concerns about their range, high prices and the lack of charging infrastructure across the EU.

Those “concerns” European consumers cited certainly sound familiar. In fact, they are identical to what is murdering EV sales here in the States. I’m really a tad baffled because we have been repeatedly assured that Europe was way ahead of us and was the model to be imitated.

Those guys, our climate grifters assured us, waving with one hand as they picked our pockets with the other, know what they’re doing.

Well, huh.

It seems they might not, after all.

The British are digging in their heels, too.

…Felipe Munoz, a global automotive analyst at JATO Dynamics, said: “The reality is that whether you look at business or private, electric vehicles do not convince yet.”

There are concerns about demand for EVs among British drivers too. Separate data showed that the growth rate of EV sales in the UK had dramatically slowed.

As to the UK, I predict that rates of sales will nosedive even further as the new Labour government under Keir Starmer continues to cripple British reliable power generation with their insane Green fever dreams. Happily cutting their noses off to spite their faces in terms of North Sea oil and natgas permits and going full steam ahead covering the isles with wind turbines won’t inflict enough pain and misery. Paying astronomical electricity rates already, Labour is yanking the tiny government utility subsidies paid during the winter that assist the poor and elderly “pensioners” with heating costs.

Granny is already freezing to death – she will not be buying a mandated EV that she can’t afford to plug in.

That’s pretty much the story across the continent, as every government bought into – or was forced into – the EU and von der Leyen’s drop-dead Death of the Internal Combustion Engine date for the electric transition to save Earth.

Manufacturers and governments are calling for rollbacks – not in prices, but in regulations. Not only do people not want these vehicles, but if the proportion of vehicles sold doesn’t meet EU specifications, the already super-stressed auto industry gets hit big time with monster fines.

…The EV sales crisis prompted the ACEA to call for “urgent action” to address new EU net zero car sales rules that will leave European electric car manufacturers at risk of hefty fines.

The European Commission, which creates and enforces EU law, is preparing to introduce new rules for car and van makers designed to slash carbon emissions and encourage the adoption of electric vehicles.

I love how governments always slyly term restricting something as “encouragement.” It’s like gun-grabbers saying “mandatory buy-backs.” Sure can’t see through that.

The ACEA is trying to convince EU elites in Brussels that it’s counter-productive to fine them for not selling something nobody wants in the first place.

…The ACEA said the “continual downward trajectory” of EV sales in the bloc meant manufacturers would be at risk of multi-billion euro fines and said the new rules needed a rethink. It warned that demand for EVs was still well below the level needed for the EU’s new vehicle emissions rules to work effectively.

“We are missing crucial conditions to reach the necessary boost in production and adoption of zero-emission vehicles: charging and hydrogen refilling infrastructure, as well as a competitive manufacturing environment, affordable green energy, purchase and tax incentives, and a secure supply of raw materials, hydrogen and batteries,” the ACEA said.

Unsurprisingly, Italy’s Meloni has the most common sense answer, as in “Just knock it off, already.”

…Meanwhile, Italy urged the EU to pause its “absurd” plans to ban petrol cars by 2035 amid concerns the policy risks triggering the automotive industry’s collapse.

You know, it’s no wonder the Brussels crowd hates that blonde. She has really got to get under their pampered skin.

I was renting a van yesterday.
The chap in front was returning an electric vehicle.
Couldn’t charge it.
Tried three times.
So had to take the penalty for returning empty.
It’s the infrastructure that is so crap.

— Michael Thompson (@MikeTho04795078) September 20, 2024