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Europe hits roadblocks in the race to switch to electric cars

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By illuminem briefings

· 2 min read


illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Guardian or enjoy below

🗞️ 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.

Click for more news covering the latest on net zero

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