Carmakers globally are all showing their all-new, all-snazzy electric vehicles. But recent figures are showing they’re not selling very well. What a surprise!
Electric cars aren’t particularly suffering from a lack of attention in the global car press and their manufacturers make sure they don’t. But as much a hype as one is trying to create, as low are electric cars’ actual sales volumes. The word of Volvo Cars’ CEO Anders Kärrberg is that last year only 50,000 EVs were sold. Worldwide! That’s just about 0.1% of the total automotive production on this big round chunk of earth. Not exactly punching a dent in a pack of butter then, are they, these electric cars?!
Most expectations then aren’t very shining. Mr. Kärrberg states his expectation is that EV sales will account for barely 1% of total car sales eight years from now. The European Union is a bit more optimistic – perhaps because they make the policy – that this figure will be in between 3% and 4%. Japanese car builder Nissan is ever more sunny – no pun intended – and puts its money on a European market share of around 10% in 2020. They’ve got their hopes up for my native Netherlands in that respect, as they expect at least 20% of the Dutch sales to be an electric automobile.
Well, if any of these projections are going to be true, I guess EVs are going to have to get a lot better then, as the disappointing sales currently are said to be related to high purchasing costs, uncertain and low action radii and a-lot-of-patience-requiring charging times when you run out of juice. The only reason why the Dutchies, world-champions in being cheapskates, are buying them is because buyers get a hefty tax advantage.
But no, I may be Dutch, but I personally prefer a car that’s a bit more flexible. And faster.
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- Nissan Leaf – top selling electric car
