Electric cars are no longer selling so well. They are no longer subsidized by the state. How can you get buyers excited about e-mobility? BMW has ideas.
Most car manufacturers have serious problems selling their electric vehicles. Ever since government subsidies were removed, many customers have no reason to decide against a combustion engine. In addition, the prices for electric cars are often much higher than for petrol or diesel cars in the same class. Charging also costs money – depending on the tariff and provider, it is not noticeably cheaper than using fossil fuels at the gas station.
How the market is supposed to move in such a situation is a good question. There are few answers other than appeals to people’s environmental awareness. Instead: bans, restrictions, stricter requirements. That is a deterrent.
No bans, but incentives
BMW Production Director Milan Nedeljkovic has better ideas: more incentives and privileges for electric cars – clear advantages in everyday life. In an interview with “” he was asked about possible purchase incentives and a return of state subsidies. He believes the latter “does not make sense” in the long term, but brought new ideas into the discussion.
“There are other ways to make electric cars more attractive: such as privileged access to inner cities, free parking or a dedicated lane on the highway,” Nedeljkovic said in the interview.
The idea would probably actually have an effect: While electric cars would be allowed to bypass traffic jams, drivers of stationary combustion engines could consider whether it might not be time to change their vehicle.
Benefits for electric cars today
Free parking for electric cars already exists: in Hamburg, they have been allowed to park free of charge at all parking ticket machines up to the respective maximum parking time since November 1, 2015. Charging stations are often also available in popular inner-city locations, so that you can park in the front rows – sometimes only for the duration of the charging process.
Despite the currently sluggish sales figures, Milan Nedeljkovic does not want to agree with the doom and gloom sentiment that is currently being heard very frequently. “Germany is a strong economic area and industrial location, and that should not be dismissed in general. Our country has many hard-working and well-educated people, great research facilities, innovative suppliers and a stable legal framework – these advantages should not be underestimated,” he explains.
Nevertheless, the BMW board member complains that bureaucracy, high energy prices and expensive location costs are damaging the German economy – similar to an ageing road network and a digital infrastructure that needs to be expanded.
Source: Stern
I’m a recent graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. I started working as a news reporter for 24 Hours World about two years ago, and I’ve been writing articles ever since. My main focus is automotive news, but I’ve also written about politics, lifestyle, and entertainment.
