EV Sales Stall
April 11, 2023
By Paul Homewood
As has been becoming increasingly apparent, sales of EVs are beginning to stall:
https://www.smmt.co.uk/vehicle-data/car-registrations/
The market so far has mainly consisted of company car buyers, who are attracted by tax breaks, and eco-minded city drivers. That market now seems to have been more or less optimised.
To get to the 2030 target, EV sales would have to increase market share by about 10% every year. In other words, by 2024 sales would have to more than double last year’s.
I cannot see this happening.
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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
So, this Gov’t of idiots, led by eco-fanatics must be banking on a big, private market uptake of all those lovely “cheap” Chinese BEVs that will soon be flooding the markets here and in Europe. Lots of them named after flowers and such!
A quick read of the excellent ‘Cobalt Red’ by Siddarth Kara would alert them (and everybody) to the global, economic, geopolitical and social damage being done by the Chinese in their dogged pursuit of metals, minerals and other materials – were they ever to consider reading anything not approved by the Climate Mafia…..
Grant Shapps is in South Korea and enlarging upon UK/Korea co-operation with joint investments in Wind. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/shapps-uk-to-partner-with-korea-on-energy-transition-and-stand-united-against-putins-aggression?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=eeff2b89-5845-474d-b224-2267141aa983&utm_content=daily
There is another link to his speech in the link above.
So much about the climate fraud is predicated on the basis of subsidies…. oh not for you dear proles…. not a chance. The subsidies are paid to the mates of the ruling political classes who in return give them kickbacks!
I have one question, if like windmills, EL cars are so brilliant and cheap and their really IS a problem with CO2 in the atmosphere (there actually is but it is too little not too much as the frauds propagandists broadcast), then how come range challenged EL cars are not the go to vehicle for Joe and Josephine Public and not only the vacuous inadequates of the lazy left identifying virtue signalling humanities graduates who are paid significantly in excess of their real worth?
oh, “their” ….THERE!
EV owners till try to sell the idea of running an EV to their friends with all their righteousness but little indication of the problems.
“by 2024 [EV] sales would have to more than double last year’s.”
Or, more likely, ban sales of petrol/diesel cars. 100% market share for EVs!
Exactly! And the government WOULD do that.
But at around the same volume as now. Anyone remember how you used to see our used cars heading to the ports on Polish or Czech trailers? I guess the flow of used cars will be heading the other way soon.
I repeat ….. all the low hanging fruit for EV buyers has been picked. Prices for EVs are coming down because they’re not selling as many now. This is where range, charge time, and charge availability trump virtue signaling.
Try towing a 1.5 to 2.5 ton horse trailer or caravan. I regularly tow our Airstream 684. Weight is 2.65 tons. My Discovery 4 can tow it 300+ miles on a tank of diesel quite happily and I can carry a further 80 miles backup in a 20 litre gerry can in the boot.
How far would a BMW i5 get?
One of the US motoring magazines have been conducting tests with (IIRC) the Ford F150 Lightning, pulling a pretty big trailer. While it was more than capable of doing the job, the range dropped to around 90 miles. Not much good if you were heading out into the desert for a camping trip…
Given that EVs are less practical and simultaneously more expensive than the competition, it is a wonder that any EVs were actually purchased voluntarily. The sales would probably be zero without the subsidies and tax exemptions.
I don’t think practicality is a serious concern for most private buyers. Those with the money to afford an EV also have a “proper” car for long journeys…
Falling into the trap of “long journeys”. A proper car takes maximum ten minutes to refill and does not have to be refilled every two to three hours of actual use irrespective of the mix of actually long journeys and all sorts of variations
I get 1200 km without a trailer and between 900 and 1000 km with a trailer in my own proper car. What EV comes anywhere close to that?
I’m not sure they are less practical for people in cities who can plug them in overnight. It’s horses for courses. I’d never buy an ICE screwdriver but I’d never buy a battery big brushcutter.
Car buyers are generally not very technical, they decide that one is a nice colour and looks so sleek, that is why all the commercials for BEVs totally ignore technical details, just loads of good looking boys and girls dancing around the vehicle on the cote d’azur. However the non technical are now confused, BEVs cost more, catch fire, lack of chargers, so they either stick with the devil they know (Petrol)or just put off buying a newer car.
Marketing two different technologies (3 with hydrogen) is a nightmare for any salesman, unless you give BEVs away at least 25% below the price of an equivalent ICE (Petrol) they are going to stall. Banning ICE vehicles by 2030 is just going to really piss people off, it is already stalling in the EU. The second hand market for BEVs is an even worse disaster, no one wants them.
Seen the Renault ad with the scalectrix cars? They think that’s a plus!
Who’d buy a used battery?
My electricity standing charge has gone up with another stealth rise.
£195 a year now before I’ve even used 1kwh.
It’s doubled since April 2019.
Electric transit vans. Not talked of enough. An essential tool for tradesmen. And women.
Often battered and brought second hand. Carting all-sorts around.
But buying a new one with a maximum range of 196 miles before requiring a recharge. Around £43 – £48 thousand, then VAT.
What ever these politicians and civil servants are smoking it is way too strong for their little, under developed brains.
A couple of years ago I bought a S/H motorhome in the (now increasingly unlikely) hope of enjoying some of my retirement. I wonder what the loons in charge (sic) think this particular market is going to look like when diesel engines are banned? I presently have a comfortable 500 miles range, with no more than 10 minutes to refill, and my heating runs on the fuel as well. Now try adding a ton of batteries, which will give barely half the range, and my 3 tonne van becomes a 4 tonne monster. But this won’t be possible because the underfloor space is used for water & waste tanks, plus that heater and ducting. Most camp sites already prohibit the charging of EV’s, which is hardly surprising considering the state of typical rural power supplies, so there’s zero chance of getting some range back overnight. Many city centre carparks also have height restrictions, so chargers there are no use either. In truth those “loons” don’t give a flying **** and have every intention of getting us plebs off the roads, one way or another…
For most politicians, civil servants smd Progressives a policy that has as a secondary consequence the removal of motor homes and caravans from the roads is an added bonus. They are all snobs and sneerers.
Dead right, Dave. I’m surprised there’s been no rage from the towed caravan industry/ market which has been trashed along with the car industry
What is really depressing is no rage from the manufacturers (everywhere in Europe) and the motoring organisations such as the AA and the RAC (and their equivalents in other countries).
>>I’m surprised there’s been no rage from the towed caravan industry/ market which has been trashed along with the car industry
Never underestimate the ignorance and stupidity of politicians and civil servants – on the rare days they turn up for work.
Both the Caravan Club and the Camping and Caravanning club have been meekly reviewing EV tow cars and saying how much they are improving for years now. Testing is with stupidly lightweight caravans (typically 750kg) and the range is pitiful. I reckon from Southern England to the Lake District would take about 3 days.
https://www.practicalcaravan.com/reviews/bmw-ix-xdrive40-sport
They matched the BMX iX with a Sprite caravan weighing 1430kg, that’s pretty light for a twin axle family caravan. The price of this vehicle is around £70k.
From the article asinine quotes like:
No, really?
We get to some vague wording about the range as follows:
Note doesn’t say if that’s the range from 100% to 0% charge, or 80% to 30% or what. And the C&CC tow car test listed the range as 78 miles….
Never seems to occur to them to stand up for caravanners and say when the ban on petrol/diesel new vehicles comes in anyone wishing to tow a family caravan will have to follow the Cuba model ie retain an ageing large diesel or similar. OR travel no further than about 50 miles from home. And don;t forget that carvan sites don’t have high amp electric connections on the pitches – 10 amp is common, some as low as 6 amp. Just a carvan kettle and the microwave will trip the post.
The diesel/petrol new car sales ban (if it happens) will collapse the car industry (manufacture & sales) and probably destroy the UK caravan new sales too – who would take the chance on a new family size caravan?
Nicola Sturgeon’s in laws?
“I cannot see this happening”. Paul all it requires is for a load of people with more money than sense, with no interest in desk research, with no mathematical or logistical skills with no understanding of economics and who have been taught to believe what they hear on the BBC. Should be a doddle. Surely, you should have said “I cannot see this happening after the fools have all rushed in”. The angels will see to it if not John Palmer’s comments.
the prices are ridiculous but unless there is a backlash like Germany we aer being backed into a corner which will result in a complete collapse of new car sales and all the jobs that go with it. Still reckon garages mechanics should make a killing
Import them from Cuba, that workers’ paradise. With banning ICE vehicles on top of rampant Leftist socialism, the UK will soon be at the Cuban economic level; both Marxist islands, you know.
They might have got away with slightly more expensive EVs. But the things that are really ridiculous and make then impractical for most people are the range, recharging time and lack of normal size vehicles. Most EVs are the size of a city runabout. And can EVs even tow anything?
>>the prices are ridiculous
Just back from the French Alps, apart from motorway services saw NO public chargers and brave souls in Teslas numbered less than the fingers on my hands.
It would appear however that sales of large SUV’s from all the main european manufacturers are continuing apace judging from the carpark where I parked my large petrol supercharged SUV for the week.(my concience is clear as it sits in the garage unused for most of the year). my trusty ULEZ exempt 20 year old Rover doing the legwork the rest of the time. (Amusingly the larger car is also ULEZ exempt) and like Ed (two kitchens) Milibond I rarely use it thus in my distorted view of the world I am doing my bit to save the planet.
Also, No solar panels on chalets and no whirr of Heat pumps, just the heating oil tanker doing its rounds.
Why would anyone be ashamed of having a practical vehicle?
“large” SUVs do not exist. There are normal size (four doors) and compact (two doors) as there are with saloon/sedan cars and hatchbacks
>>my conscience is clear
EVs, solar and wind facilities, composting, and any color H2 will have very little effect on atmospheric CO2. The local emissions may go down some — whatever measure is used for net-Zero. Who knows? The problems are legion. That’s a lot.
[ the principal unit of the Roman army comprising 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers]
It sounds like the next general election is going to be November 2024.
Another cold winter yet.
Thanks Biden and Johnson for using our money to fall out with the gas supplier. Brilliant.
Hopefully, some sensible political parties will emerge in the meantime that will put a stop (and reversal) to the “climate” and “net zero” scams and the attacks on mobility.
>>next general election is going to be November 2024
“Hopefully, some sensible political parties will emerge in the meantime”
If not I am done with voting for “X” to stop “Y” getting in. They are all just branches of the “Uniparty”, and it makes no difference which of them is (nominally) in charge. I REALLY hope to get some doorstop election campaigners next year – but they won’t like the response …
Falling out with your gas supplier is fine if you turn on a new supplier.
Europe sits on a supply it refuses to turn on. That’s the folly. There was a decade’s notice of the falling out. Again our betters failed to notice and take action.
When we all live in 15 Minute Cities, we won’t need cars, you idiots.
Stop whingeing and get a horse.
Moan moan moan…. We must save the planet for China, you should know that by now.
All part of the plan!
Stop whingeing and get a horse”
Why would you need a horse to get around a 15 minute city? In any case, they fart too much and you won’t be allowed to buy hay & oats when CBDC is fully enforced…
The way the civil service, who set policy to be then endorsed by less-witted politicians, have a well-established way to get their policies delivered. That is, let no difficulty deter. They are very good at modelling alternative approaches to achieving their goals, a sort of sets of Plans B, C and D etc. They are excellent at manipulation of mindsets that may have doubt. Other tools they have, and will use as needed, including the knife in the back. They do not need to have scientific or technical knowledge, as they will utilise those with such skills to do what is needed.
The succession of letters one gets from one’s MP from the relevant ‘minister’ totally fail to address facts or concerns raised with the MP in the fist place, and confirms all the suspicions raised in the diatribe above.
Not sure I agree they’ve stalled. They increased by 18%. Their market share hasn’t increased because hybrid sales increased significantly, driving the market 18% higher.
I’d buy what the French call a véhicule de première main,.
(A first-hand vehicle is a second-hand vehicle that has had only one owner, as opposed to a new vehicle or a vehicle showing 0 km on its odometer.) hybrid. One caveat to that, at a similar price to the ICE equivalent.
Yes, the dreaded %, much used during covid to dupe and control the public, give me the raw absolute figures every time.
Alarmists heading to London.
Will they travel by an electric bus ? Anyone know ?
XR Salisbury said it has chartered a coach leaving Salisbury for London on Friday, April 21 for people to join the protest.
Extinction Rebellion Salisbury invited people to ‘The Big One’ | Salisbury Journal” “https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/23445945.extinction-rebellion-salisbury-invited-people-the-big-one/
Correction –
“Extinction Rebellion Salisbury invite people to protest with banner drop” https://uk.news.yahoo.com/extinction-rebellion-salisbury-invite-people-131321019.html
Thanks for that link, just posted there.
The crisis of confidence in EV markets has hit lithium prices hard. Having traded over $80,000/tonne until the middle if last year there has been a collapse since February to just 9ver $30,000/tonne. It does look to be stabilising at that level for now. Big losses for those who bought at high prices, so EV prices won’t respond soon.