Europe

Italy has some of the oldest, most polluting cars in Europe clogging up its roads, and the country is lagging behind other European countries in EV adoption. But the government aims to change that, to the tune of a $1 billion investment to encourage people to ditch their gas- or diesel-burning cars for electric ones.

It was a very good year in France for electric cars, for all kinds of reasons – among them, new cheaper cars entering the market supported by generous government subsidies. In 2023, 26% of new cars sold in France were battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, a huge 47% jump from 2022. 

As Chinese EV automaker Build Your Dreams (BYD) closes in on current global sales leader Tesla, a massive factor in its strategy includes expansions in the EU. Less than two months after BYD shared plans to expand passenger EV production to Europe, we now know that journey will begin in Hungary.

New data shows electric cars and plug-in hybrids made up more than 24% of all new passenger car registrations in the European Union this year, rising a bit from last year. While gas vehicles still hold nearly a third of the market, diesel rates took a dive.

The German government announced that it will abruptly end its subsidy program for electric vehicles on December 31, which has dealt a blow to automakers in one of its biggest European markets. But Tesla and Mercedes-Benz say that they will compensate for it, covering the full price of the subsidy for German buyers, with other automakers joining in.

France aims to democratize access to electric vehicles with a freshly launched “social leasing” program that allows low-income drivers to lease electric cars for as low as €40, about $43. That includes no down payment and free charging, in some cases, for six months.

In a recent interview with media in Europe, NIO cofounder and president, Lihong Qin, confirmed the Chinese automaker intends to launch its family-friendly Firefly sub-brand in the market in 2025. This latest update follows nearly two years of speculation about the Firefly brand, in addition to a separate NIO sub-brand called Alps, both of which should join the EU markets.

Today, France has revealed its list of electric vehicles now eligible for federal tax incentives of up to €7,000. As expected, EVs made in China – including Tesla’s Model 3 and the Dacia Spring, the cheapest EV on the market – didn’t make the cut.

Honda has confirmed it is nixing sales of its E minicar in Europe after steering well short of its already modest sales targets during its first three years on the market. Honda appears to have missed the mark on this initial entry into EVs but looks to learn from the experience as it looks toward a more electrified future.

Months after shipping its first batches of EVs over from China, ZEEKR has officially begun deliveries to new customers in Europe. This recent milestone kicks off expansion plans that should see the availability of ZEEKR EVs expand to several new markets in Europe over the next two years.

European automakers have secured less than a fifth of the cobalt, lithium, and nickel they’ll need to meet targets by 2030, according to a new analysis by Transport & Environment (T&E). Exceptions are Tesla and China’s BYD, but Tesla and certainly BYD fall a bit short on responsible practices compared to other automakers.

Despite predictions of a major slump in automatic sales around the globe, the European auto industry predicts that this will spark a huge uptick in EV sales in the EU – and that’s thanks to a flood of new, cheap models hitting the market. 

After beginning sales in Europe last year, Chinese EV automaker Great Wall Motor appears poised to expand its reach across the continent to at least eight additional countries. Furthermore, the automaker intends to establish a new European R&D center as it ponders bringing EV production over from China as well.

Less than two weeks after cutting the ribbon on its first charging hub in the US, Mercedes-Benz has begun operations at its first location in Europe. Can you guess where? Don’t think too hard…

McDonald’s, or “McDo” as the French say, is installing 2,000 new fast charging points across 700 car parks in France by 2025. Each McDonald’s charging station will offer 150-200 kilowatts of power, so you can recharge your car in about the time it takes to inhale a Big Mac and extra-large frites.

MEPs of the European Union voted to adopt strict new rules regarding emissions from trucking and busses today, seeking a 90% reduction in total fleet CO2 emissions by 2040 — but there’s a big loophole involved. While initial planning from the EU Commission sought to categorize effectively all ICE trucks and busses as CO2-emitting, the EU Parliament has other ideas.

Here’s a breath of fresh air, literally. In a new milestone, the number of new electric car registrations has exceeded those of diesel-powered vehicles in Europe for the first time, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.

The European Union is not fooling around, and European countries are under pressure to adhere to ambitious plans to get their roadways up and ready for the total phaseout of fossil fuels in the years ahead. To this end, both France and Denmark have just announced huge investments in building out their electric vehicle charging infrastructure to adhere to new EU regulations announced this summer. France will put €200 million into expanding fast charging stations within the country, and Denmark has earmarked €91.5 million to focus on charging for heavy-transport vehicles.

In a disappointing move that could result in billions of euros in health and environmental costs, the European Union today caved to pressure from the automobile industry to rethink its landmark rules setting strict limits for toxic emissions from cars and trucks. As legacy automakers lose ground in the transition to EVs, automobile lobbies are urging governments to kill off clean air laws.

In a controversial move, Switzerland has decided to tax electric cars in the same way it does for gas guzzlers, saying that special tax exemptions are no longer necessary.  

After Barcelona already clamped down on e-scooters in public transport with a temporary ban after a fire on a train, Madrid and other Spanish cities are following suit with tighter restrictions.