German electric car sales plummeted by 70% in August, prompting manufacturers to call for a delay in carbon reduction targets

As more and more people call for the EU to postpone its carbon reduction targets, electric car sales in Germany have dropped significantly.

The latest data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) shows that electric car sales in Germany plummeted by nearly 70% in August, leading to an 18% decline in new car sales across the entire EU.

As the second largest electric car market in the EU after Germany, France saw a 33% decrease in electric car sales.

According to ACEA data, the double "plunge" in the German and French markets resulted in only 92,627 electric cars being registered in Europe last month, compared to 165,204 registered during the same period last year, representing a 43.9% decrease.

Continued Slump in the EU Electric Vehicle Market

The sharp decline in electric car sales has prompted ACEA to call for "emergency action" from the EU to address the continued slump in the electric vehicle market. The association warned that if this trend continues, European car manufacturers could face billions of euros in fines.

The European Commission is considering introducing new carbon emission targets for cars and trucks, aiming to reduce emissions while promoting the adoption of electric vehicles. However, ACEA points out that the current market share of electric vehicles is far from meeting the requirements of EU car emission regulations.

In August, the market share of electric cars in Europe dropped from 21% to 14.4%. While petrol car sales accounted for 32.6% of the market share, diesel car sales declined by 26.4%.

Furthermore, the registration of plug-in hybrid cars decreased by 22.3% in August, with varying degrees of decline in major markets.

From January to August this year, a total of 902,011 electric cars were registered in the EU, accounting for 12.6% of the market. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association stated:

"We lack the key conditions necessary for achieving the essential growth in zero-emission vehicle production and adoption: charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure, competitive manufacturing environment, affordable green energy, purchase and tax incentives, as well as secure supply of raw materials, hydrogen, and batteries."

Therefore, ACEA urges the EU to postpone the new carbon emission targets and calls for "urgent and meaningful action" to reverse the downturn. Top car manufacturers such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Renault have already suggested delaying the targets, or else they will face hefty fines.

The Italian government has strongly demanded the EU to suspend its "absurd" plan to ban the sale of fuel cars before 2035, fearing that this policy could lead to the collapse of the automotive industry