Latest news with #EVadoption
Irish Times
19 hours ago
- Automotive
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on EV sales: acceleration needed
Prices drive car sales. It's a self-evident truth, proven by numerous scrappage schemes, and the 2008 move to an emissions-based motor tax regime. So, a grant of up to €10,000 applied to electric cars would push the volumes towards the critical 16 per cent of vehicle stock, where research shows mass-market adoption is achieved. By the end of last year, Irish EV market adoption stood at 3 per cent. The proposed grant is one of the most eye-catching proposals in the Climate Change Advisory Council's latest annual review on transport. It cogently identifies the key hurdles to EV adoption: cost and charging infrastructure. On the cost side, it suggests a targeted grant scheme of up to €10,000, aimed specifically at lower income households in areas poorly served by public transport. However, the devil would be in the detail. Execution may prove complex, and administratively burdensome. Also, the range of new EVs within the proposed €35,000 price cap remains limited. Still, it reflects the need for innovative thinking. France, for example, offered 50,000 European-built EVs leased at €100 per month to low-income households. The scheme closed in January last year after just six weeks due to the high demand. Initially capped at 25,000 vehicles, subsidised to a maximum of €13,000 each, it had more than 90,000 applications. READ MORE For any consumer who finds an affordable EV option, the next big question is about charging. The report rightly highlights our poor performance compared to EU peers on public charging infrastructure. It identifies key sticking points, such as deploying neighbourhood charging for those without access to off-street parking. The council's review correctly identifies the key obstacles to EV adoption, and a €10,000 grant scheme, targeted at lower-income drivers, would supercharge sales. But without detail, infrastructure and swift Government action, the ambition may stall. Kudos to the council: now it's time for Government to move from recommendations to action.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Shell survey reveals cost concerns for EV adoption, especially in Europe
Drivers are increasingly hesitant to transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs), with this trend being more noticeable in Europe compared to the US, according to a survey released by Shell. According to a survey of 15,000 drivers from around the world, including those from UK, China, Germany, and the US, cost continues to be the primary obstacle to electric vehicle adoption, especially in Europe, where 43% of non-EV drivers point to affordability as a major concern. In the US, the interest in EVs is slightly lower, with 31% in 2025 compared to 34% in 2024. Meanwhile, in Europe, the drop is more pronounced, with interest decreasing from 48% in 2024 to 41% in 2025. The survey reveals a notable rise in confidence among current EV drivers. Globally, 61% of EV drivers now express less concern about running out of charge compared to a year ago. Additionally, almost 72% of them report that the options and availability of public charging stations have improved. Demonstrating a commitment to the shift towards electric mobility, 91% of current EV drivers, including those with battery EVs and Plug-in Hybrid EVs, express their willingness to consider another EV for their next vehicle purchase. In the US, 46% of petrol and diesel car drivers support policies aimed at phasing out ICE vehicles, while in Europe, the figure is 44%. However, this support is often contingent upon certain conditions. For instance, only 56% of those who favour phasing out ICE vehicles would maintain their support if electric vehicles (EVs) remain more expensive than their petrol and diesel counterparts. Additionally, only half of the supporters would continue to back the phase-out if there is no significant improvement in the charging infrastructure for EVs. The proportion of EV drivers who own only one vehicle has significantly increased compared to 2024, highlighting a decreased reliance on ICE vehicles as backups. This trend reflects the growing acceptance and satisfaction with EVs among current users. In the US, the percentage of single-vehicle EV owners increased from 34% to 41%. In Europe, this figure went up from 49% to 54%, and in China, it surged from 72% to 89%. About 78% of EVs driven by European participants were purchased new, a decrease from 82% last year. This indicates that the second-hand market is expanding, potentially attracting more consumers to the EV sector by offering more affordable options, stated Shell. Shell's EV charging network encompasses over 75,000 charging stations worldwide, with a primary focus on key markets such as Europe, the US, and China. Shell Mobility & Convenience group executive vice president David Bunch said: 'Shell has established strong public charging networks in key markets worldwide, and this research reinforces what we hear from our customers: there's a growing disparity in the transition to electric vehicles. 'While current EV drivers are feeling more confident, the relatively high cost of owning an electric vehicle, combined with broader economic pressures, are making it a difficult decision for new consumers.' "Shell survey reveals cost concerns for EV adoption, especially in Europe" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Fast Company
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Fast Company
Trump is trying to kill California's EV standards. It will affect cars across the country
For nearly 60 years, California has been able to set its own standards around auto emissions that are stricter than the federal government's, thanks to a special exception for the state under the Clean Air Act. California has used that waiver to implement aggressive emissions standards that prioritize the sale of EVs, and that aim to whittle down the sale of gas-powered vehicles until their complete ban by 2035. Now Trump has signed a joint resolution from Congress that overturns that California waiver —and essentially kills California's efforts to accelerate EV adoption (California has sued to stop the move). If its implementation is allowed, the resolution won't affect only California residents, but would hurt the entire country's EV efforts, and push the U.S. further behind the rest of the world. 'California has probably been the largest factor in accelerating EV adoption over the past decade,' says Jeremy Michalek, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University and director of the school's Vehicle Electrification Group. California has used its Clean Air Act waiver to set requirements for automakers to sell a certain percentage of vehicles that release zero tailpipe emissions (a requirement which, a few hydrogen powered prototypes aside, can currently be met only with electric vehicles). California has become the biggest market for EVs in the country, accounting for nearly a third of all EV sales in the U.S. The California effect When California sets stricter regulations around auto emissions, it changes what sorts of cars are available for drivers everywhere. 'That's been a huge driver in forcing the industry to provide additional options, like to roll out EVs in different market segments,' Michalek says. 'If California sets stricter standards than the rest of the country, automakers have to decide, 'Are we going to try to customize different vehicles for different markets and deal with all of the logistics and cost, or are we just going to make all vehicles comply with what California is doing?'' (California's stricter rules also catalyzed stronger federal standards because the state has long been a part of federal emissions negotiations.) This California effect has been noticed with other environmental regulations, too. A state law requiring product label warnings for toxic chemicals known to cause cancer led to chemical exposures decreasing for people across the country. When brands make a product to meet California's strict environmental regulations, they usually sell the same one across the country, and everyone benefits. If California's stricter auto standards go away, it stands to reason that the entire country would lose out on that benefit, too. That wouldn't happen immediately: It takes about five years for automakers to design and bring new vehicles to market. But the move—which California is already suing the Trump administration over—adds to the general uncertainty the auto industry is facing. Automakers lobbied the Senate to end California's ban on new gas car sales by 2035, and have spoken out in support of Trump's recent move, saying there should be one national standard. But there's still uncertainty because of the rapid changes to regulations, Michalek says. The U.S. falling behind in EV transition This move combined with the potential repeal of EV tax credits, Trump's tariffs, and his administration's efforts to weaken federal auto emissions standards all hurt the auto industry's ability to plan long term. And if automakers can't make investments in local EV battery factories or onshoring parts of the EV supply chain, that means the U.S. will continue to fall behind in the overall EV transition. The move to EVs is already on a strong trajectory, Michalek says. Changing California's emissions standards won't totally stop that transition, but it will slow it down. 'Meanwhile, the rest of the world is already ahead of us,' he says. China in particular is an EV leader—with technological advancements that have made ultra-affordable EVs a reality—and even countries across Europe are now outpacing the U.S. in EV sales. Because of the Trump administration's attacks on the Inflation Reduction Act as well, billions of dollars of investments into the EV industry have been canceled since the start of his second term, including plans for EV and battery factories. Part of the goal of the IRA was to diversify and relocate the supply chain for climate tech like EVs, moving it either into the U.S. or to its allies. But these pullbacks are making that plan more difficult. 'So by getting further behind,' Michalek adds, 'the risk is that if we're going to have to make this [EV] transition anyway, and we're lagging behind in building the industry to make the technology, then when we do have to transition, we'll be kind of at the mercy of other countries that are dominating the technology.' Eventually, he adds, we're going to be at a disadvantage for not having made these investments sooner. Chaos for automakers and states Repealing California's waiver could also hurt automakers that focus on EVs. Within the state's (and federal) regulations, there's been the option for automakers that weren't able to meet the standards to buy credits from companies that did, so that on average the industry is meeting these goals. 'If there are some automakers who wouldn't really sell electric vehicles unless they were forced to, because that's not where their profit center is, it enabled them to transition some funding to other automakers that were more focused on electric vehicles, like newcomers like Tesla,' Michalek says. He credits California's stricter standards for why, at least in part, Tesla was able to survive its early years. California is currently the only state able to set its own auto emissions standards that are stricter than federal ones, but the Clean Air Act does allow other states to adopt California's regulations, and 17 states, including Oregon, New York, and Massachusetts, have done so. In that sense, removing California's waiver also directly affects what those other states can do around auto emissions. (Ten other states have joined California's lawsuit against the Trump administration over its effort to revoke its waiver.) In attempting to revoke the waiver, Trump went through Congress, but California Governor Gavin Newsom says that move was illegal. It's not clear what the timeline will be for a resolution to the lawsuit. In the meantime, Michalek says, there's a sustained sense of uncertainty for automakers. 'The chaos of it is a deterrent to investment in the industry, and in planning for future vehicles.'
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Electric Cars Lose Appeal With New Drivers, Shell Survey Finds
Electric cars are losing their appeal for new drivers in Western nations, even as existing owners report increasing satisfaction with their battery-powered vehicles, according to a survey conducted by Shell Plc. The findings show that high upfront cost remains a significant barrier to electric vehicle adoption, with drivers of gasoline-powered cars in both the US and Europe reporting declining interest in making the switch, the survey showed.
Arab News
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Arab News
Pakistan PM calls for quick EV policy with stakeholder input to promote clean transport
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's government on Saturday pledged to promote electric vehicles (EVs) across all segments of transport, with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif calling for a national policy on the subject to be finalized in consultation with stakeholders. The move comes amid a steady rise in EV adoption in a market long dominated by Japanese automakers such as Suzuki, Toyota and Honda. Increasingly, Chinese and Korean brands are entering the space, with electric vehicles becoming more and more visible in cities like Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. The government is hoping to ride this momentum to cut fuel imports and reduce emissions. 'Priority measures will be taken for the promotion of electric motorcycles, scooters, three-wheelers, cars and buses,' the prime minister said while chairing a meeting in Lahore to discuss the adoption of EVs. The draft Electric Vehicles Policy 2025 was reviewed at the meeting, with Sharif calling for its urgent finalization 'in consultation with all stakeholders' before being presented to the cabinet. 'Charging stations and battery-swapping stations must be ensured,' he said during the meeting. 'Industries will also be facilitated to increase the manufacturing capacity of two- and three-wheelers.' While EVs offer a way to reduce the country's petroleum import bill and carbon footprint, the lack of infrastructure, frequent power outages and limited financing options remain key impediments to their widespread adoption and scale-up. Yet industry experts believe existing players in Pakistan's auto market will face stiff competition from various EV brands, with many seeing electric vehicles as poised to consolidate their place in the domestic market.
