Electric cars and plug-in hybrids set to outsell diesels in Germany soon – survey

People in Germany are set to buy more pure electric cars and plug-in hybrids than diesel cars soon, a survey commissioned by price comparison website Verivox shows, news agency dpa reports. More than 18 percent of respondents told market research institute Innofact they would opt for an electric model when they buy their next car, while only 14.5 percent said they were planning to buy a diesel car. 11 percent said they would opt for a purely electric car, and 7.3 percent for a plug-in, according to the article carried by Welt. Respondents said the main arguments against purchasing electric cars were their short range, high prices, and a lack of charging infrastructure. But almost a quarter also said the ecologic advantages of electric cars were not sufficient.

Carmaker Daimler said sales of electric and hybrid cars from its Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands rose six-fold in the third quarter compared to a year earlier. One fifth of all cars sold during that time were either pure electric or a plug-in hybrid. This share rose to one quarter in September, according to Daimler. However, the Daimler works council warned the carmaker against focusing solely on electric mobility.

Germany has been struggling to lower emissions in the transport sector, which have remained broadly stable for decades as gains from more efficient engines have been eaten up by heavier cars.  The take-up of electric vehicles has been slow in comparison to many other markets. But thanks to new government incentives, registrations have picked up sharply in recent months. In September, Germany registered more than 20,000 pure electric cars in a month for the first time, when their share climbed to 8 percent.