By P Gosselin on
Many Germans regret their purchase or lease of an e-car and Germans overall are increasingly unwilling to consider them.
Citing an article published in the online Merkur.de, Blackout News reports: “Half of German e-car owners regret their purchase or lease”.
Apparently German e-car owners are disappointed due especially to “rising electricity prices”.
Recently we reported here that the German e-car industry was “a crisis headed for a catastrophe” and that sales were plummeting.
Q1 2024, EV sales declined some 14.1% compared to Q1 of 2023.
e-car targets now a fantasy
Meanwhile sales of conventional engine cars have risen strongly over the same period. According to Blackout News, the share of electric cars sold from the entire automobile mix was just 12.2 percent. and new e-car registrations in the current year are “down significantly”.
Customers overall remain wary of e-cars and no sales boost is in sight. This means Germany will fall far short of its electric car targets.
According to Renate Köcher from the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research: “In the long-term trend, e-mobility has always been in the minority, but now we have reached a new low.”
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Where did everyone go?………
Nice ‘Joe Biden’ act there …
It’s difficult to know what to say about our Teutonic brothers. A slow car crash springs to mind. No pun intended. I guess this is where the stranglehold on education and the media come into their own. Black is white, war is peace etc.
Only this morning the BBC’s statistics programme, ‘More or Less‘, ran a big piece on… yes, climate change and the claim by the Reform Party that Net Zero will do net zero to affect changes in climate and temperature. There then followed some mental gymnastics on what it is that the IPCC is actually saying
They wheeled out a guy called Professor Ed Hawkins who informed us that “once we get to net zero emissions the temperature will ‘stabilise’.”
Most of the new cars I have seen of late in London have been hybrids.
NB Hawkins was awarded the Royal Meteorological Society’s Climate Science Communication Prize in 2017. Easy to see why.
Hybrids actually make sense.
Electric motors are a great drive unit:- torque, acceleration, brake energy regeneration, mechanical simplicity… etc etc
But the energy for these cars still comes from fossil fuels…
You don’t have to wait to recharge… just fill up the tank, and off you go.
IMO, a plug-in hybrid… really is a “why bother” proposition.
… and a full EV is a “DON’T BOTHER” non-proposition.
I prefer an ordinary ice, myself.
Yes, we all have our preferences. However, if governments get they’re way, they’re mandates will trump them all. And not just what car you can buy.
Yes we do all have our preferences.
I cannot think of one I have that the government approves of.
If 90% of your journeys are 20 miles or fewer, and you can do that on battery alone, charging at night, then I can see how they might make sense.
Given the ‘duck curve’ caused by solar/wind production, one would think that daytime charging would be preferred.
That nasty duck curve is crushing California utilities.
Could it be that most people are using their cars daytime but not during the night?
When are they charging their cars? That’s the point.
One would think that the State of California would have wised up to this by encouraging EV chargers be put in places where people park their cars in the middle of the day. Only problem is that would mean the state government had some connection to physical reality.
I’m a prisoner of California. I do agree with your assertion about the state gov being out in left field, but I would add that there is a well tuned industry here to exploit any state gov plan for as much money for as little product as possible. Any state mandated action, good or bad, becomes incredibly expensive.
I think you mean “a hostage of California”
Good guess on my ambiguous statement. Actually, I’m a prisoner (in) California – it’s my family keeping me here. I’d been gone like a train years ago otherwise.
“Encouraging” businesses to offer charging to their employees would be another expense and yet another reason for businesses to give up on California altogether.
“Encouraging” businesses to offer charging to their employees would be another expense and yet another reason for businesses to give up on California altogether.
Charge it on the street or in your garage… your choice !!! 🙂
And keep your fingers crossed.
If you charge it in the street, you have to keep your fingers crossed that your charging cables will still be there in the morning.
And your EV isn’t on fire
Fire hydrants are being stolen in Los Angeles, ffs. I would somewhat surprised if charging cables were the only things taken. Tires, for example, are very expensive.
If you charge it in your garage, you have to keep your fingers crossed that your house is intact in the morning.
Too bad for those of us who have no off street parking and can’t plug our EV’s into our home chargers at night.
In the UK that’s 45% of us.
And in places with off-street parking and home charging, if BEVs were to be ubiquitous, they could not be charged because the sector low voltage grid cannot carry that level of load, particularly with heat pumps sucking power.
It’s all going to plan.
Hey, here’s a novel radical idea… why don’t governments get the h*** out of the d*** way and let manufacturers build what customers want to buy?
Don’t you know that those who consider themselves to be the elite, are convinced that they know better than mere humans, what is best for us.
That’s why they can’t risk letting us chose for ourselves.
How dare you espouse the true democracy of capitalism supply and demand economics.
My colleague’s wife has a plug-in hybrid which she uses to commute to work, can plug it in to the garage at work so costs zero to run.
In the U.K., sales of hybrids this year to end April increased by 20% compared to the same period last year, but EV sales only increased by 10%.
Buyers certainly favour hybrids, and this trend will continue as many private buyers have only one car and need the flexibility that a hybrid gives them.
“New car registrations record 21st month of growth, rising 1.0% in April.”
“Battery electric vehicle (BEV) market share rises to 16.9%, sustained entirely by business buyers, as private retail demand continues to drop.” (SMMT)
When the subsidies and tax incentives are withdrawn for businesses, watch BEV sales plunge.
Hybrids are being pushed by dealers and manufacturers desperate to avoid the £15,000 fines for each ICE car sold over government quotas.
“When the subsidies and tax incentives are withdrawn for businesses, watch BEV sales plunge.”
….I agree. They are obscene but I don’t think any future government will kill them in the foreseeable future. Millibrand certainly won’t when, as seems certain, a Labour Government gets in.
Milliband won’t have a choice. We will see the UK motor industry disappear along with hundreds of thousands of jobs if things continue as they are.
Europe has already backed down by allowing ICE’s providing they can run on synthetic fuels. Yet another pipe dream.
How is a synthetic fuels, which is a carbon-based fuel, better than gasoline?
Hybrids or plug-in hybrids?
Plug-ins still raise issues about supply and load distribution and charging points.
Yes, plugging in is one of the problems.
A hybrid that doesn’t need to be plugged in should be the best choice for society.
Or an expensive solution to a non-problem.
Still essentially a fossil fuel powered vehicle.
Yes, it just gets a little better gas mileage, and there’s no need to connect to the electric grid.
So if one has to have a hybrid, a non-plugin is the best way to go because it does not disrupt your life and routine or put pressure on the electric grid.
The figure is a composite one. I don’t know the split.
Hybrid batteries are a lot smaller, so they shouldn’t present as large a charging load.
It’s nigh on impossible to buy a pure ICE now, so of course the figures look better
I understand Mercedes have dropped a four cylinder, hybrid, ‘high performance’ AMG model, which replaced the conventional V8 non hybrid model, and replaced it with a conventional V8 non hybrid model.
Because there are enough buyers for what is a muscle car. A wound up tight 4 banger isn’t the same thing, and there is plenty of competition on that front.
Hybrids still double up on a lot of components meaning higher initial cost and more potential repair costs. It would be interesting to see how many miles you have to drive a hybrid to break even on the extra fossil fuels used in the manufacturing process.
One question: what was broke with ICE cars that needed fixing?
Politics. ICE cars are red and Hybrids/EV’s are blue. It is as simple as that. The hate that builds up in some people is unbelievable. To the degree that even simple lies are exaggerated beyond all comprehension. Like there are trillions of dollars in subsidies for oil and none for wind/solar. The list is nearly endless as the lies continue.
ICE cars are components of individuality and freedom. EVs are symbols of conformity and restriction.
Precisely. That is exactly why my Chevy ICE car’s license frame reads: “FREEDOM ROCKS!”
What do new ”Big Brother is watching you 24/7 ICE cars” have to do with individuality and freedom?
The idea was that switching to EVs will generate a massive investment cycle from which the masterminds of the plan will benefit the most. If you are in control of money flows, you can divert it in you pockets.
Production of ICEs was business as usual without much potential for new players, particularly in the golden billion.
The same idea applies to traditional vs green power generation. Sure, coal, gas, oil, nuclear and hydro work just fine, but can one generate a lot of startups and new money flows? No, all is already taken by major established players.
Not enough kick-back to politicians.
Electric motors are a great drive unit:- torque, acceleration, brake energy regeneration, mechanical simplicity… etc etc”
Acceleration and torque are totally adequate in ICEs.
Brake regeneration is only relevant in city driving.
Simplicity. What simplicity?
Hybrids add complexity at a cost.
More expensive to build and more to break.
Unless you are a taxi driver in a city, hybrids hardly bring any value.
All people who I knew owned a hybrid went back to ICEs.
I don’t own a hybrid (yet), but there are several in my family. At least with these Toyotas and Hondas there have been no problems with hybrid components, no problems at all really. And what Rick C says – one of my daughters has a Rav4 hybrid, it is a superior car, much nicer and fun to drive than my 2015 and 2019 ICE Rav4’s. She has long term 36mpg in hilly Bay Area driving. I’m getting 28. Overall, that’s probably a wash in the longterm cost. That element isn’t too important to me but the driving experience is – I have car envy.
1) Your daughter’s car isn’t “much nicer and fun to drive” because it is a hybrid.
2) You are still driving your 2015 vehicle. In 9 years, she is likely to have a piece of useless, ZERO-trade-in-value, junk sitting in her driveway. Not nice. Not fun.
1) It is much nicer and fun to drive. Mostly because the hybrid power train is responsive and powerful in comparison to the CAFE squeezed strangled pure ICE power train of my Adventure. This is why the Rav4 Hybrid is such a desirable model per the market place, and personal and professional reviews. I would have bought one in 2019 instead of the Adv IF I COULD HAVE FOUND ONE.
2) Oddly enough, she also has a Priuses C that’s >10 years old and it’s running fine with a cazillion miles on it. It’s lived a hard life by the seashore. It doesn’t look good, but no cars in that tough salt spray area does.
I lost my skepticism about Toyota hybrid powertrains a while back based on my experience with several friend and family ownership experiences. Do they pay off? Don’t know, don’t care. In nine years all cars are somewhat worthless (except my 2003 Tundra and 2014 Tacoma). I’m thinking about replacing the 2015 Rav – it will be a nice relatively inexpensive used car for someone.
There are MANY non-hybrid cars that are “nice and fun to drive.” Thus, that it is a hybrid is NOT a meaningful cause of “nice and fun.”
Well, with this gen (2019) Toyota Rav4’s it sure is the cause. The hybrid power train is superior to the ICE Rav for drivability and gas milage. It’s the Toyota reality for this year Rav4’s, and I don’t see why you have a problem with that.
I did not make a general statement saying hybrids are “more nice and fun to drive”. I made a statement about 3 specific models I have direct driving experience with. Now, if you said “well, your Rav Adventure has a crap power train”, I’d go along with that! BTW, what’s your experience with these models?
I do like my hybrid Rav4. It drives very much like the V6 Rav4 I had previously but it gets 38 mpg in the winter and 41 in the summer. The old Rav4 got about 24 mpg year round. Using current gas prices I’ve calculated that it will only take 3 years to make up the difference in purchase price between the hybrid and the gas only version.
How old was your older car.
Newer cars get better gas mileage.
Mark, I bet Rick’s previous Rav4 was a V6 – those are spunky but a bit gas guzzling. I’ll give you my experience with 3 family Rav4’s.
My wife’s is a 2015 AWD 4 cylinder. It’s been a fantastic car though the paint is starting to peel off. It gets about 28 mph in our desert/mountain driving on regular tires and Kali gas. Nice drivability but mountain handling is a bit truckish – wonderful car.
My 2019 Rav4 Adventure was getting about 32 mpg on the OEM tires. I got a new set of somewhat more offroad tires (Geolanders – we have a mountain cabin that is up in the snow line). After that I’m getting about 28 mpg. The tires literally suck, and I’m going back to regular M+S touring tires. I think all the 2019 ICE Ravs have drivability issues, certainly mine does – sluggish light pedal acceleration from rapid upshifting and hunting with the 8 speed trans. I’m sure Toyota tried to squeeze every mpg it could, and drivability suffered. I got a ECU reflash that cured the notorious lurch from a stop, and I think made a minor improvement in response.
My daughters 2019 AWD Rav4 Hybrid is a dream to drive. A little odd at the very first but in a few miles I was completely at home with it, and thinking I need to ditch my Adventure for one of these. Offroad, it’s a bit down from the Adventures torque vectored AWD, but so is my Wife’s 2015 and it’s never been an issue.
For fleet owners and the elite, who replace autos every 2-3 years, it makes no sense at all.
To comply with regulators. To placate government. Period.
The “mechanical simplicity” that you gain by getting rid of the ICE drive engine, you give back by adding an ICE charging motor.
I bought a used Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Hybrid, and I am thrilled with it. Big, fast, comfortable, and I get 25MPG around town and up to 31MPG highway.
I let my nephew who is a county deputy wring it out, and he told me mine is faster than his squad car (same year, same everything except for the hybrid). More and more police departments are ordering the hybrids- it also reduces idling time by a huge margin.
Did they describe what “we” means in this statement?
“once we get to net zero emissions the temperature will ‘stabilise’.”
the BBC are canvasing for input on their election coverage.
I responded to their three questions thusly….
What are the issues that really matter to you?
The immiseration of our country by the headlong rush to Net Zero.
What would you like us to explain?
What will be the reduction in temperature by our reducing CO2 output to zero.? (we produce currently less than 1% of the global total)
Where would you like us to report from and why?
NE Scotland – ground zero for a new industrial revolution. But this time the profits will not lead to growing wealth in the UK, but will enhance the profits of overseas companies
I understood his meaning as global. That was certainly the context of the discussion, if it could be called that. On that questionnaire…
“What are the issues that really matter to you?”
Nobody gives a monkey’s about the weather – ergo…
““A number of NGOs have written to the TV networks expected to host the live debates, the first of which is on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV. “Support for climate action remains overwhelmingly high among all demographics of the UK public,” says the letter. “As broadcasters you have a duty to ensure that general election coverage reflects the public’s desire to see strong and serious leadership on climate and nature recovery – and a genuine debate about the solutions.””
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jun/03/uk-election-debates-must-make-climate-crisis-a-key-issue-say-green-groups
“What would you like us to explain?”
What they tell adults and schoolchildren….
“Human activities are causing world temperatures to rise, with more intense heatwaves and rising sea-levels among the consequences. Things are likely to worsen in the coming decades, but scientists argue urgent action can limit the worst effects of climate change.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24021772
They’re hoping at the BBC and it really is a forlorn hope.
If “we” means global net-zero, that ain’t happening. Only fools believe otherwise.
“.. once we get to net zero emissions the temperature will ‘stabilise’.”
So the default state is climate stasis, and this will be achieved by climate regression to its pre-industrial perfect state.
Apparently
Oh good. No more tornadoes.
Seems the British abandoned the attack on DC during 1812 due to a tornado. The skedaddle was that they wanted their ships out at sea to avoid damage.
How much hydro-carbon fuel CO2 was there back then? Curious minds want to know.
From the article: “Apparently German e-car owners are disappointed due especially to “rising electricity prices”.”
Yes, that is a problem. EV buyers thought they were going to have an advantage over internal combustion engines because EV’s could fuel up for a lot less money than filling up a gasoline tank.
Then, electricity prices skyrocketed as imbecile politicians tried to implement Net Zero insanity and now that “cheap electricity advantage” is no more.
It was reported yesterday that the average price of electricity in the United States has increased by 25 percent since Biden took office and started attacking the oil and gas industries and the electric grids (by putting windmills in the mix).
One more reason not to buy an EV.
The question that most interests me:
Other than virtue signaling, why did BEV buyers decide to buy a BEV in the first place?
The answer to that question may require an answer to this question, asked only of BEV drivers who don’t want to buy or lease another BEV:
What did you learn while driving your BEV that you did not know before you were a BEV driver?
I suspect most BEV drivers read a lot of BEV cheerleading in the mass media, but learned most of the bad news only after they became BEV drivers.
Example of a fair and balanced BEV review, unlike BEV cheerleading in the mass media:
2024 Kia EV9 – EPautos – Libertarian Car Talk (ericpetersautos.com)
Most BEV owners are companies, not individuals
That has been true in the UK for several years. It is not true for global BEV sales.
And I don’t know of any other nation where a majority of BEVs are sold to businesses.
Other than virtue signaling, why did BEV buyers decide to buy a BEV in the first place?
Well Elon was smart kicking off with the Model S zoom zoom and now the average revheads can enjoy the affordable Model 3 and Y as they go like stink and owners get to pretend they’re saving the planet. What else can they buy for the money with that performance in ICE? It’s a limited market and that’s what’s showing now.
Mr. Greene: I read that BEV owners saw “bad news” about the BEV, but a guy named Greene, who spoke so very authoritatively, said the bad BEV news was “baloney” or “BS”, so they went ahead and now regret that they gave any weight to your pronouncements.
Of course, I am making this up- nobody listened to you.
Comedian?
My blog has recommended 99.9% anti-EV articles every day for many years.
From this morning:
Daily Caller: Biden Promised Half-A-Million EV Charging Stations. We Now Have Eight, by Stephen MooreBiden Promised Half-A-Million EV Charging Stations. We Now Have Eight – Climate Change Dispatch
Porsche Taycan’s Values Plunge; Mercedes, Stellantis Pause EV Battery Factory On Sliding DemandPorsche Taycan’s Values Plunge; Mercedes, Stellantis Pause EV Battery Factory On Sliding Demand | ZeroHedge
Mr. Greene: And yet, as you say, EV sales are “booming”. Proving that nobody listened to you.
Once again schadenfreude.
Story Tip: 2300 acres of Joshua Trees to be cut down for solar installation: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-05-31/solar-project-to-destroy-thousands-of-joshua-trees?utm_medium=email
Funny, just last year CA passed the Joshua Tree Protection Act: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/california-legislature-passes-joshua-tree-protection-law-2023-06-27/
So they have to cut them down to protect them?
I live a little north of there. When it comes to so-called clean energy projects, anything goes. The BLM and the state simply look away, I assume the word comes down from on high. Just north of me is the Coso geothermal plant. Plenty of shenanigans there. And there was a real heart breaker up there with recent exploration tearing up some beautiful wild areas.
Half of German e-car owners regret their purchase or lease”.
The other half won’t admit it.
This is 100% a government issue. Get the government out of the energy and transportation business and all of this goes away. It couldn’t be more clear business is not the business of government. They have screwed up everything they have laid their hands on.