The situation in Germany
The newspaper reports that “in March, 31.4 thousand new purely electric passenger cars (so-called BEVs) were registered for the first time in Germany, as much as 29% less than a year ago” and “in the entire first quarter of 2024 14% fewer such cars appeared on German roads than last year.
As “GW” writes, this is the reaction of German drivers to the German government's resignation from subsidizing electric cars. “Subsidies began to be limited last year, and since January the German government has stopped them completely due to budget problems,” Gazeta Wyborcza reports.
European Union
In March 2024, fewer electric cars were also sold in other EU countries than a year earlier, and “the first registrations of such vehicles were over 11% lower than a year ago,” writes “GW”. Despite the declines, sale of electric cars in the EU, however, it increased by 4% compared to last year, which indicates further, although slower, development of the market.
“In 2023, sales of new purely electric passenger cars in the EU were as much as 37% higher than a year earlier,” writes “GW”. It was added that “there is no chance of such a sudden increase again this year”, which forces automotive companies to refrain from plans to accelerate the electrification of their cars.
USA
“In the USA, in 2023, sales of new purely electric cars increased by as much as 47% year-on-year. But for the first three months of 2024, sales of such vehicles in the United States were only 3.3% higher than a year ago,” writes “GW”. “Two years ago, Americans were eager to buy purely electric cars. This year, such vehicles wait at dealers for a buyer on average 136 days, almost twice as long as the average new car with a purely internal combustion drive – according to estimates from the analytical company Cox Automotive” – writes Gazeta Wyborcza.
As “GW” writes, the International Energy Agency (IEA) does not share these pessimistic forecasts. “In the report presented at the end of April, the IEA indicated that last year 14 million new electric cars were sold around the world, 3.5 million units more than the year before. And this year, according to the IEA, 17 million new electric cars may be on the world's roads. ” – reports “GW”.(PAP)
