German Automotive Industry is Europe’s Champion in E-Mobility, According to VDA

According to the Association of the German Automotive Industry (VDA), Germany’s car manufacturers are the European champions in e-mobility. The association demands that politics must also do its part and significantly accelerate the expansion of the charging network.

(Frankfurt am Main) – Hildegard Müller, President of the Association of the German Automotive Industry (VDA), sees German car manufacturers as market leaders in Europe. In an interview with the German Press Agency (dpa), she even used the term “European champion in electromobility.”

Market Shares in Europe on the Way to the 50 Percent Mark

Indeed, the registration numbers of electric cars in Europe are rising sharply. The German market, in particular, benefits from the increased environmental bonus from the federal government. This is a government subsidy that can reach a total of 6,000 euros plus a manufacturer subsidy of 3,000 euros, depending on the vehicle. Pure electric vehicles are promoted more than plug-in hybrids. In October, the number of newly registered cars with pure or combined electric drive in Germany was nearly 48,000, according to figures from the Federal Motor Transport Authority. This corresponds to a market share of 17.5 percent.

Domestic Car Manufacturers Leading Not Only in Germany

Thus, domestic car manufacturers have increased their market shares not only in Germany from 50 to 66 percent within the first three quarters of 2020, but they are also leading in the European market. In the current year, they have been able to significantly expand their market share there, even though the total number of new electric cars in Europe has nearly doubled this year to 600,000. As a result, Europe has not only overtaken the Chinese market for electric cars. Meanwhile, there are 60 percent more electric vehicles on the road in Europe than in the USA.
Particularly encouraging is the development in Norway. There, the share of electric cars in all new car sales in the first eight months of the current year has risen to nearly 70 percent. Today, every second electric car sold in Norway comes from German providers. Things are also going well in Western Europe. Here, the market share of German manufacturers in electric sales last month was around 46 percent. This corresponds to an increase of 33 percent compared to the previous year.

Müller Complains About Delays in Charging Network Expansion

While, according to the VDA, the automotive industry is doing everything to accelerate the transition of individual transport to a more climate-friendly drive, President Müller sees the federal government lagging behind. She points out to Der Spiegel that the “Master Plan Charging Infrastructure” decided last year by the federal government, which envisions one million public charging points by 2030, is being implemented far too hesitantly.
To keep to the schedule, Müller calculates that about 2,000 new charging points need to be built per week from now on. In reality, only about 200 new charging points are being created per week. At this pace, overloading of individual charging points is foreseeable. Already, 13 electric cars come per connection, and by Easter, it could be at least 20.

“Charging Summit” Aims to Create a Broad Basis for Action

Müller demanded: “We deliver, now politics must catch up and create the necessary infrastructure.” The VDA president does not complain about a lack of investment willingness from the federal government. Rather, she sees the problem in the concrete implementation. She suggests involving the municipal level more strongly in the form of mayors. It must be achieved that each municipality adheres to a binding implementation plan. At the same time, approval hurdles for new charging points must be dismantled so that the automotive industry can also participate more in the expansion of the charging network.
The VDA wants to discuss the topic on November 17 at the Chancellery. Then, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) will meet again for an “Automotive Summit” with industry representatives. According to the VDA, a “Charging Summit” should follow the “Automotive Summit.” This is intended to bring together representatives from the automotive industry, mineral oil and energy companies, retail, parking garage operators, and the housing industry with representatives of federal politics and municipalities to find solutions on how to quickly and efficiently close the existing gaps in the charging network.
www.vda.de
Image: © Association of the Automotive Industry e. V. (VDA)