2024-07-28 17:05:49
Too expensive, too impractical, too green: In Germany, there are many reservations about electric cars. Now, according to a new survey, sales figures are plummeting.
The traffic light coalition has a clear climate target for the transport sector. By 2030, 15 million electric vehicles are to be on Germany’s roads. However, according to a new survey by the Central Association of the German Motor Vehicle Industry (ZDK), reported by “Welt am Sonntag” (WamS), this target is slipping into the distance.
348 car dealerships took part in the survey. The responses show that private buyers ordered 47 percent fewer electric cars this year than in the same period last year. Orders for plug-in hybrids fell by 37 percent. While demand for electric cars has fallen by half, combustion engines are benefiting. Demand for diesel and gasoline cars rose by 24 percent.
Car salespeople also name the suspected main reason for the great skepticism towards electric cars: the high price. The proof of this would be the sales figures for fleet and company vehicles. In these cases, emotional factors play a smaller role in the purchase. But even in this segment, electric cars are selling less well, even if the drop is not quite as severe as among private customers.
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27 percent of car dealerships said that high purchase prices or expensive leasing rates put off their business customers. 23 percent saw the uncertain resale value of electric cars as an obstacle. Only nine percent cited a fundamental problem with battery technology as the reason.
Dealers are not expecting a turnaround in the second half of the year, but fear gloomy times for electromobility. 91 percent of the car dealerships surveyed rate demand from private customers for pure electric cars as “poor” or “very poor.” 79 percent are pessimistic about plug-in hybrids. Despite increased orders, 23 percent of car dealerships predict a worsening order situation for combustion engines.
The ZDK draws clear demands from its own survey for manufacturers and politicians. Producers must now “create market incentives through low prices and low leasing rates,” ZDK President Arne Joswig told WamS. In addition, the charging infrastructure must be further expanded.
However, it is unclear whether this will be enough to achieve the federal government’s ambitious climate target of 15 million electric cars. In April 2024, almost 1.5 million purely electric vehicles were registered in Germany. In addition, there are almost another million hybrid vehicles. In total, there are 48 million cars on Germany’s roads.