Germany’s electric-vehicle sales slumped in July, extending a broad pullback since incentives ended late last year and undermining automakers’ plans in the EV shift.
Registrations of battery-powered cars fell 37% in Europe’s biggest auto market to 30,762 vehicles compared to a year ago, Germany’s federal motor transport authority KBA said Monday. It’s the biggest drop since December when the German government suddenly scrapped EV subsidies. Sales of vehicles without a plug gained 7%.
The broad EV slowdown across Europe wherever incentives are removed is leaving carmakers like Volkswagen AG wrong footed on production plans while the overall shift is stumbling. Well-off and eco-conscious buyers are more or less tapped out, and the industry’s lack of affordable battery models is cutting mass-market consumers out of the market.
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How do you feel about the reliance on government incentives to encourage electric vehicle purchases?
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Should electric car affordability be a concern for manufacturers, or is it solely the responsibility of the consumer to adapt to market prices?
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What do you think is the major barrier stopping more people from buying electric cars, and how would you propose to address it?
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Considering the environmental impacts, do you believe it's ethical for governments to stop subsidizing electric vehicles, even if it leads to a decrease in sales?
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How important do you believe it is for electric vehicles to become the majority in the automotive market, and what steps would you suggest to achieve that goal?
