FAQ
Status: 01/10/2023 2:51 p.m
Today, representatives of the federal government, the states and municipalities, trade unions and science as well as the automotive industry are talking about the so-called mobility turnaround. What’s the problem?
What is the government’s plan for electric cars?
The federal government wants to have at least 15 million fully electric cars on Germany’s roads by 2030. According to calculations by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), the number of purely electric cars is currently one million. For comparison: In Germany, the number of registered passenger cars reached around 48.5 million at the beginning of 2022. In 2012 there were still around 43 million. The number is increasing slowly but steadily. Accordingly, it is becoming increasingly narrow on Germany’s roads.
According to the Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDIK), 470,600 purely electric passenger cars were registered in Germany in 2022. A great deal of momentum has recently been observed here, because according to the Federal Motor Vehicle Office (KBA), more than 104,000 purely electric cars were added last December alone. That is about twice as many as in the same month last year. If you add the almost 70,000 plug-in hybrids that are also registered, according to the KBA, more than 55 percent of the vehicles newly registered in December are pure electric cars or plug-in hybrids.
As a result, the number of electric cars is increasing, but the total number of vehicles is also likely to increase, so it can be assumed that more than 30 million cars with combustion engines will still be on the roads in 2030 – even if the federal government achieves its ambitious goal.
Why is it questionable whether the momentum will continue?
It may not be easy to continue this strong development. According to the VDIK, the environmental bonus caused the latest wave of approvals; many customers would have wanted to secure the higher subsidy. VDIK President Reinhard Zirpel emphasized: “In the coming year, the momentum will slow down significantly. We expect only around 800,000 new electric vehicles in 2023. Unfortunately, the rising electricity prices and the lower subsidies will have an unfavorable effect on the attractiveness of electric cars.” chirp.
Because since January 1 of this year, only the purchase of a purely electrically operated vehicle has been subsidised; the subsidy for plug-in hybrids will expire. Instead of the previous 6,000 euros, purely electric vehicles with a net list price of up to 40,000 euros will only be subsidized with 4,500 euros. Vehicles with a price between 40,000 and 65,000 only receive a subsidy of 3,000 euros instead of 5,000 euros.
How do consumers feel about electric cars?
A current consumer survey by the management consultancy Deloitte actually shows that the switch to electric cars is being slowed down by rising costs and a lack of infrastructure. Despite the growing selection of models, only 16 percent of those surveyed would buy a pure Stromer the next time they buy a car, according to the Deloitte experts. At the end of 2021, the share was 15 percent.
Lower operating costs and government purchase premiums are key arguments for buying an e-car in Germany. “Now the electricity costs are skyrocketing, while the subsidy is gradually being reduced and will even expire in 2025. This will mean that fewer electric cars will be sold in the future,” said industry expert Harald Proff.
Another factor affecting consumer interest is infrastructure. They cited the range as the greatest concern: at 57 percent, it was mentioned most frequently, followed by a lack of public charging infrastructure at 47 percent, the charging time and the non-existent charging option at home, each at 45 percent.
What plans does the federal government have for the charging infrastructure?
According to the federal government, the “accelerated expansion of a nationwide and needs-based charging infrastructure” is also decisive for a switch to electric vehicles. The goal is one million public and non-discriminatory charging points by 2030. Here, too, 2030 is the decisive date. The focus is on the fast charging infrastructure.
This goal is still a long way off. According to data from the Federal Network Agency from the beginning of November 2022, the number of charging points grew by around 17,000 to a total of 72,000 within a year. If things continued at this rate, the target of one million charging points would not be reached until 2077, in purely mathematical terms.
According to the Federal Network Agency, there are around 12,000 charging points that are defined as fast charging points with a charging capacity of more than 22 kilowatts. Around a quarter of them achieve the highest performance class of over 300 kilowatts.
This deficiency has been recognized by the government. In order to speed up the expansion, the federal government decided on the “Charging Infrastructure Master Plan” in October and intends to spend 6.3 billion euros on it. It includes 68 measures in the areas of funding, empowerment of municipalities, availability of space, integration into the power grid, charging on buildings and heavy commercial vehicles, and is also intended to mobilize private investment.
What are the alternatives to the electric car?
Fuel cell technology also plays an important role in alternative drive technologies. According to the Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport, hydrogen and fuel cells are key technologies for the electrification of traffic drives. A recent study by the European Patent Office EPA with the International Energy Agency IEA shows that no other EU country has granted as many hydrogen patents as Germany.
Many hydrogen patents are held by companies in the automotive and chemical industries that focus on electrolysis and fuel cell technologies. According to the study, the leading companies also include the German groups Linde, Siemens, Bosch and BASF.
According to EPA President Antonio Campinos, the automotive sector is outstanding in terms of innovation activity, with companies being particularly active in the fuel cell and electrolysis sectors. However, Japanese and Korean companies in the automotive industry in particular then applied for many patents – such as Toyota, Hyundai and Honda.
Biofuel could also play a role in the future, especially in view of the number of vehicles with combustion engines that is expected to remain high in 2030. Elmar Baumann, Managing Director of the Association of the German Biofuel Industry (VDB), emphasizes: “Biofuels can make the large number of vehicles and new vehicles with combustion engines more climate-friendly. Abandoning biofuels would thwart the goal of quickly reducing the consumption of fossil energy in road traffic.”