Europe wanted to lead the world in electric vehicles. Automakers can’t keep up

With sales and production of electric vehicles in Europe lagging by comparison, a blame game has emerged between car manufacturers and policymakers. “A regulatory framework that ignores customer needs and market realities — and, at the same time, is unable to create the necessary conditions for alternative technologies — cannot succeed,” a BMW spokesperson said in a written statement to WIRED. for the 2035 ban. She added that unless “charging infrastructure, the availability of renewable energies, and access to raw materials” are addressed, the ban will lead to a contraction of “the entire automobile market.”

As the automobile industry employs 13.8 million people Across Europe and representing about 7% of the continent’s GDP, such a contraction would be economically catastrophic.

The decline in car sales has already prompted Volkswagen to announce plans to close At least three factoriesThis raised concern in Germany about the country’s economic outlook. The far-right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is currently Second at the ballot box Ahead of Germany’s snap general election in February 2025, he does not support a ban on combustion engines and has made the perceived economic cost of environmental policies a core part of his messaging.

says Beatrix Kim, company director CAR Center for Automotive Research. “Vehicles are seen as very expensive, people are concerned about battery safety, and they are also concerned about charging costs.” She believes both politicians and industry have a role to play in changing this, both through subsidies and investments in infrastructure such as charging solutions, as well as through creating cheaper vehicles. “It could be tactical pricing, discounts, rebates, or just cutting prices all the time – which of course needs to be balanced with financial profits,” she says. “But overall, they both need to make the public understand electric mobility better and clear up some myths, such as battery safety.”

In an attempt to keep their factories and technology alive, some European automakers have floated the idea of ​​“clean” fuels as a way to continue selling combustion-engined cars beyond the 2035 deadline. Germany has been at the forefront of this, Successful campaign in 2023 To exempt electronic fuel vehicles from the ban. E-fuel, which is still in the research and development stage, is made from combining hydrogen and carbon dioxide and, according to its proponents, emits far fewer emissions than gasoline.

However, not all industry experts are convinced. “E-fuel is complete nonsense,” says Peter Mock, managing director of the International Council on Clean Transportation in Europe. “The efficiency of this type of fuel is very poor, which means prices are very high, and will remain high.” Furthermore, he believes that talk of alternative fuels is confusing for consumers, which could further hurt electric vehicle sales. “Electric vehicles are simply the most efficient, cheapest and most convenient means of transportation, and we need to communicate that,” he adds.

Of course, the 2035 ban will only apply to EU countries, while carmakers on the continent will continue to sell globally. One solution might be to turn to US markets, where there are electric vehicle sales expectations throughout Trump’s presidency It is already cut.