Despite their immense popularity and growing presence on the road and technological advancements, industry across the world is seeing production and sales of electric vehicles (EVs) begin to decline. In the United Kingdom (UK), EV production fell by 25% in August. The major UK manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) recently told Sky News that there needs to be more effort to make buying and owning an electric car more appealing.
More investment and infrastructure needed
EVs run on a totally different kind of engine to the internal combustion engine. Unlike what makes hydrogen appealing in that the internal combustion engine can be adapted to use hydrogen, EVs need their own technology. Further, charging infrastructure needs to be more readily available if EVs are to become the standard on the road.
“We’re hoping that the new government does do more especially around the charging infrastructure; the charging infrastructure on motorways; fast charging”, says Trevor Leeks, the operations director of JLR’s Halewood plant on Merseyside in the UK. Only about 3.5% of the cars on the road in the UK are fully electric as of August 2024. This figure rises to just under 10% if you include hybrid vehicles in the count.
The UK government has set a deadline for 2035
By 2035, the UK government has committed to phasing out fossil fuel powered engines. This was previously set at 2030 before current prime mister Rishi Sunak extended the deadline last year. By the end of this year, 22% of car sales must be electric. By 2030, the government plans on ensuring that 80% of vehicle sales are electric cars. However, the state has also been called upon to cut taxes on electric vehicles to encourage their sales.
As of 2023, Norway currently leads with the highest percentage of plug-in electric vehicle cars at just under 30%. Nepal leads with the most new car sales of electric vehicles in 2023 with 83% of new car purchases being electric. Nearly all of Nepal’s energy is from renewable sources generated by river-fed hydro-electricity. Nepal has also prioritized infrastructure development to support ownership of EVs, making it simple to own one.
Slowed growth is expected to pick up again in the new year
500 million pounds is to be invested in JLR’s Halewood plant on Merseyside. Part of the decline in production can also be attributed to the preparation of newer models instead of producing older ones. In the U.S., EV sales have grown by 25% in the first quarter of 2024. President Joe Biden has set a goal for the automobile industry that 50% of passenger-vehicles on the road must be either fully electric or hybrid.
While EV sales are expected to reach 17 million by the end of this year, the vast majority of these sales come from the U.S., Europe, and Asia. The greater Global South regions are notably absent from the EV revolution. Part of the problem is that while EVs are being produced in these regions, companies are offloading internal combustion engines to developing nations. Further, many of these nations do not have the money to fund the widespread infrastructure needed to make EVs compatible.
To avoid this dumping of internal combustion engines to developing nations, the EU has proposed a End-of-Life Vehicle Regulation which outlines how to scrap internal combustion cars sustainably. Further, development of more affordable EVs for not just developing nations but the whole world should become a priority. Currently, EVs are marketed as luxury goods. This needs to change if the whole world is being encouraged to go electric.
EVs remain an exciting prospect for the future, but there needs to be a higher priority of driving sales in developing nations as well as for citizens in developed countries who cannot afford a luxury EV.
