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That seemed like a decade ago E-car permanently condemned to a niche existence in Europe. But then everything turned out differently.
E-mobility is on the way to becoming the dominant form of drive in cars. In the long term, it will probably be the only one. How did this happen so quickly? Five events played a decisive role in this.
2003 - Tesla is founded
At first, the Californian company looked more like an eccentric billionaire's electric toy. Indeed Elon Musk was serious from the start - and hit the zeitgeist with its extremely fast, highly networked and fully digitized e-models. Not only do-do-gooders, nerds and tech freaks celebrated the drive, sales and connectivity concept that was revolutionary at the time and turned the car into a kind of rolling smartphone and the driver into a user.
The Model S soon chased away solvent customers from the Mercedes S-Class in the USA - and the established manufacturers also noticed painfully that electric drives are not only interesting for the window regulator mechanics of their combustion models. Tesla still benefits from its pioneering spirit today - even if it was bought with high losses over many years. By the way, money that the established manufacturers had to take into their own hands in order not to lose touch with the Californians.
2015 - The diesel scandal is exposed
Actually, the diesel - and not the e-car - was the hope of the German and European car industry in the fight against climate change. But its CO2 economy was bought at a high price, as it came out in 2015 in the USA: with far too high and therefore fraudulently disguised pollutant emissions. Not only at Volkswagen, but also at almost all other providers, the diesel was only able to pass the registration offices with tricks and deceptions.
He was not supposed to recover from the image disaster among customers and politicians; the move away from drive technology, which had long been controversial outside of Germany, accelerated. The car manufacturers suddenly needed a quick replacement in order to be able to meet the increasingly strict CO2 limits of the EU and avoid high fines. The electric car was suddenly the best option - and it went from being a stepchild to being an industry favorite.
2017 - China announces e-car quota
For the Volkswagen Group, China has long been the “second home market”. And the German, European and American competition also want to do good business in the Middle Kingdom. The industry reacts accordingly sensitively to the politically controlled developments on site - for example the e-mobility quota announced in 2017, combined with intensive promotion of Stromer sales. Today, China is the global lead market for e-cars, around 1,5 to 2 million battery-operated vehicles are likely to hit the streets there this year.
However, relatively few of them come from European brands - among the ten best-selling electric vehicles, besides the Model 3 from Tesla, there are only models from Chinese brands. Because the state subsidy has strengthened domestic manufacturers in particular, who have set their focus on cheap cars for the masses. And they could also flood Europe in the future. Even western brands that are not directly dependent on the Chinese market then have a problem without competitive models.
2019 - European Green Deal
“Deal” was the central term in the EU's plans for the green restructuring of Europe. At least from the point of view of all industry representatives who were hesitant before. Because then it was clear at the latest that e-mobility and everything that goes with it can also become really good business. The Commission has made available 2,2 billion euros in funding for a green transport turnaround. In addition, there are high investments in hydrogen, battery technology and the like. Anyone who wants to take advantage of this has to supply the appropriate products and services. And perhaps also accepts that the EU Commission will only want to authorize CO2035-neutral vehicles from 2 onwards.
From 2025 - Euro 7 and Co.
CO2 emissions are not the only problem with the internal combustion engine. In addition to the greenhouse gas, it also produces various other pollutants that are increasingly having to be removed from the exhaust gas in a laborious manner. With the introduction of the Euro 7 emissions standard, which should come into force from 2025, it should become even more demanding and therefore more expensive than before. In contrast to the loud fear of the industry, this is unlikely to be a ban on combustion through the back door, but at most a gentle tightening of current standards.
But this does not make life easier for diesel and gasoline engines - especially since the limits are gradually being tightened in other parts of the world as well. E-mobility, on the other hand, is easier, as it does without local emissions and is likely to slip more easily through pollutant certifications everywhere - which saves manufacturers large amounts of money and work.
