Just for the record (using Sep 2021 data)....around 600k E-Cars are registered in Germany, along with 580k hybrid cars.
Why aren't Germans that hyped-up?
Some will say that they are hyped-up....it's just at a smaller than desirable level. But I'll list my five reasons why it's just not going well with the general public.
1. If you live in an apartment complex....the odds are that you don't have a charger access situation, and no one within the apartment ownership that cares about adding this burden to their list of things to do.
2. Cost. There might be a cheapo small E-car model or two for the 15,000 Euro range, but once you indicate that you want a mid-sized car and prefer it not be a no-name brand....you would be talking about 45,000 Euro easily. That Audi E-Tron that I looked at? That was going to be in the 65,000 Euro range with the basic package.
From the middle-class prospective....you really have to have models that run in the 20,000 to 30,000 Euro range.
3. If you are a E-Car owner.....you have to accept planning as part of each trip. For example, suddenly you have a medical appointment that revolves around a clinic 45 minutes away.....do you have enough 'juice' in the car to make it there and back.
Your friend's car breaks down and you offer to drive them home from work....you sit and ponder the route....the battery burden, and if you can make it home.
If you aren't proactive on planning....this whole experience with an E-car could be a miserable experience.
4. At the current rate of acceleration on grid/electrical cost, no one is feeling sure about what the cost might be in five years.
Current average electrical cost in Germany? 32 Euro cents KwH. It was 25.89 cents per KwH in 2012 and 19 cents per KwH in 2006.
Just taking an educated guess, unless something happens to change things....the 2030 electrical cost (in Germany) will likely be 40 (or more) Euro cents per KwH.
5. The idea of mandating things....typically rubs the average German the wrong way. You see a lot of political and environmental chatter about mandates, and people are reaching a level of asking stupid questions. It's not a great environment to sell something that seems to have a hefty price-tag.
2 comments:
The wife and I ordered a new car (Feb 2021) (Expected delivery Apr 2022) We discussed an electric, and thought better of it. Turns out, our power lines in the neighborhood cannot handle more than 4 electric cars charging at the same time. The cost, when traveling, at fast charge is about Euro 1.50 per kw, which is undoubtedly going to increase. So we ordered another diesel which produces less emissions than a gasoline powered, gets better mileage and is more reliable. So, buying electric, I"d wait about 5 to 10 more years, when the infrastructure is there.
I did the test-drive of the Audi E-Tron (before Covid started up). Nice car...I won't slam it. Same time, I went to the Munich solar show, did a fair amount of analysis over charging, solar panels, and general cost.
This power line issue was a bit amusing, and if I did this....I'd have to solar-power the house/car. I live in a village of 350 homes, so this powerline upgrade...I don't see this happening for ten years minimum, so they'd have to FORCE everyone to go solar, to make this work. But we own a house, with two apartments rented out. So I'd have to capture enough solar....to provide for us, then try rig some 'gift' of power to the two renters, with charging possible (note: neither renter has any interest in E-cars). The solar show guy felt that everyone by 2030 would be FORCED to solar-up and I laughed when that statement was made.
I see massive chaos coming between now and 2030, with a majority of Germans in a rage because life costs more than they can afford, and there's no clear path to life in the future (except living somewhere outside of the EU).
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