Despite some criticism of electric car battery manufacturing, capacity and longevity, a new survey by reichelt elektronik shows that the electric car is gaining momentum
The number of newly registered electric cars across Europe is rising, bringing debates around manufacturing and infrastructure to the forefront. For many, electric cars are a necessary step to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but others worry about unintended impacts on the environment. In the debate around electric cars, many misconceptions have arisen. reichelt elektronik investigated these in their latest survey and looked at the future of electric cars in Germany and across Europe.
There are still few electric cars overall
According to Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), 194,000 purely battery-electric vehicles were registered last year, more than ever before. Compared to 2019, this corresponds to a tripling of registration figures. New record figures are also on the horizon for 2021. Despite the high numbers, it should be noted that the share of purely electric cars in Germany’s total vehicle population is currently still low. In 2020, it rose from 0.5 to just 1.2 percent. Compare this with the Netherlands where 21% of newly registered cars in 2020 were battery-electric.
Why make the switch?
Across Europe, 69% are now considering buying an electric car. For some however it has become firmly established in their minds that the electric car is considerably more expensive than a combustion engine. 48% of Europeans said that for them the purchase price would have to go down before they would buy an electric car. On average, conventional vehicles are currently cheaper than electric cars without subsidies. That being said, most industry watchers now expect that the purchase price for electric cars will fall in the next few years thanks to falling battery prices.
Anyone buying an electric car today will save only limited amounts of money in the short term. But for these buyers, aspects other than financial considerations are at the forefront of their purchase decision. For 59% of those surveyed, the contribution to protecting the environmental is the most important factor when it comes to switching to an electric car. 33% meanwhile are motivated by government grants or incentives, and 24% want an electric car just because they are excited about the new technology and want to support it.
Finding the right charging solution
While petrol stations can be found everywhere, the lack of charging stations in markets like Germany has been one of the biggest hurdles to the success of electric cars. Is the scepticism justified and does the assumption that there are too few charging stations still persist? 67% of those surveyed across Europe say that charging stations are indeed not yet sufficiently widespread in their local area. For 1 in 3 respondents, buying an electric car would only be an option if the infrastructure of charging stations were to improve. Furthermore, when it comes to charging electric cars, respondents stated that:
- The charging process takes too long (61%)
- The charging costs at the public charging stations are not transparent enough (47%)
According to the survey, only 28% have the option of charging an electric car at home. More than a quarter of the respondents said that setting up or retrofitting a charging option at home would only be possible with a lot of effort, such as laying a new power connection.
There are very real concerns when it comes to charging stations and infrastructure. In Germany, the federal government is reacting to this and plans to expand public charging stations in car parks of supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and swimming pools with the funding initiative “charging infrastructure on site”. People without their own charging station should be able to easily recharge their batteries. The programme also intends to adapt the existing charging network to the growing number of electric vehicles so that no bottlenecks occur.
“In addition to the expansion of public charging stations, the federal government has been providing financial support to tenants, homeowners and landlords for the installation of private charging stations, the so-called ‘wallboxes’, since autumn 2020,” says Jan-Christoph Pakusa, Product Manager at reichelt elektronik. “This is intended to remove some of the financial hurdle when it comes to getting your own charging point and to promote the spread of charging stations.”
Keep it environmentally friendly, please!
Electric car batteries are also a point of contention when it comes to electric car uptake in some markets. From the extraction of the raw materials needed, to the construction, to the recycling, there are concerns that need to be addressed. The scepticism boils down to whether the electric car is really as environmentally friendly as claimed, or whether it will ultimately fail because of the battery. Survey participants also identify the battery as a weak point of the electric car in the following ways:
- 49% worry that the mining of raw materials such as lithium and cobalt damages ecosystems
- 28% worry that electric cars will ultimately be charged by fossil fuels anyway
- 33% worry that the production of electric cars produces more carbon dioxide than the production of conventional vehicles due to battery production
It’s true that more energy is needed to manufacture electric cars, especially the batteries. Over their life cycle, however, an electric car generates 70 to 90 percent fewer emissions. It plays a major role whether the car is powered by green electricity of course, and so 58% of Europeans state that more must be invested in the expansion of wind and solar energy.
Once the battery has reached the end of its useful life, there is another important point to consider: proper disposal. Consumers still see a lot of catching up to do here – 24% believe that this is a burden on the environment. In general, a significant increase in the volume of used batteries is expected in the coming years.
However, the recycling of vehicle batteries is now considered technically feasible and is being implemented industrially in pilot plants. Nevertheless, there is no question that the last word has not yet been said about the battery and that there is a need for action. When it comes to being environmentally friendly however, the electric car absolutely wins the race over a conventional car according to 59% of those surveyed. Despite all the weighing up, it is important to bear in mind that electric cars do have a positive impact on the climate.
Worries about range are outdated
In terms of range, electric vehicles have now caught up a lot. This has enabled them to put to bed the fears of many car buyers who worry that the range of electric cars would not be sufficient for longer journeys. There are still plenty of misconceptions, however. 41% of those surveyed still think that electric cars have too short a range. But with an average range of 375 kilometres, it is certainly sufficient for everyday use.
Statista also proves this: in 2020, the average range of all electric vehicles sold was about 375 kilometres, according to corresponding manufacturer data, which is an increase of 108 kilometres on average within two years. By 2025, the average battery range of electric cars is even expected to increase to 784 kilometres. Until that point is reached, it may be necessary to research suitable charging stations for further journeys such as holiday planning. With today’s technical possibilities, however, charging stations can easily be found via an app on a smartphone.
Sustainable batteries made locally
People also have an eye on the future of the technology, but are optimistic. 36% of respondents see Europe as the biggest driver of electric car technology, ahead of Asia on 33% and the USA on 22%. Another turning point for Europe and especially for Germany could be the introduction of sustainable batteries “Made in Germany”. With these batteries, as envisaged by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the entire life cycle of the product is taken into account, which means that not only the extraction of the raw materials, but also their reuse comes into focus in terms of sustainability.
This means that the battery, which is still the subject of much discussion, will be managed in a local and sustainable way, putting to rest many of the worries people have around the technology. Only then can the last myths surrounding electric cars be buried. But when will people only drive electric cars? On average, all survey participants believe that this will be the case in 15 years.
Further information:
Survey: The figures were collected by the international survey institute OnePoll for reichelt elektronik and include 4,000 participants from Germany, Italy, France and the Netherlands.
Article image: Adobe Stock 136378232
