Germany has suffered a “spectacular” drop in electric car sales as the European Union faces growing calls to delay its carbon reduction targets. The Telegraph has more.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) said that sales for new battery-powered electric vehicles (EV) in the bloc’s largest economy plunged by nearly 70% in August, which drove a wider 18pc decline for new car sales across the EU.
In France, the EU’s second-largest market for battery electric vehicles behind Germany, sales fell by 33%.
The ACEA said “the spectacular drop” in Germany and France meant that only 92,627 battery electric vehicles were registered across Europe last month, a fall of 43.9% from 165,204 a year earlier.
The EV sales crisis has prompted the ACEA to call for “urgent action” against the new EU rules.
It warned that the “continual downward trajectory” of the European electric car market leaves manufacturers at risk of multibillion-euro fines.
The European Commission, which creates and enforces EU law, is preparing to introduce new targets for cars and vans designed to slash carbon emissions and encourage the adoption of electric vehicles instead.
However, the ACEA said that the EV market share remains far below the level needed to be compliant with the EU’s vehicle emissions rules.
Worth reading in full.
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