Europe hits roadblocks in the race to switch to electric cars

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🗞️ Driving the news: Despite selling significantly more electric cars now than six years ago, Europe's pace of fleet electrification still lags behind its climate objectives

🔭 The context: Governments are grappling with the higher upfront cost of electric vehicles, which often deters potential buyers
• Incentives alone for electric vehicles don't seem to be the solution; there's a growing belief that conventional cars should be disincentivized simultaneously.

🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: Europe's push for cleaner cars is aligned with its commitment to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change
• However, even as emissions from power sectors are being addressed, those from road transport are still a concerning factor, underscoring the need for widespread EV adoption

⏭️ What's next: While many European countries are offering financial incentives to promote EV purchases, there's also an emphasis on building supporting infrastructure, like charging stations 
• France, for instance, is exploring a social leasing scheme to allow lower-income households to rent electric cars, making them more accessible

💬 One quote: “It’s not sustainable to put out subsidies as high as we did in the past, and it’s also not socially fair because everyone in Germany – every taxpayer – pays for this transition, even if they don’t have a car.” (Christian Hochfeld, head of Agora Verkehrswende)

📈 One stat: According to the International Energy Agency, Europe now sells 10 times more electric cars than it did just six years ago.

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