Countries worldwide are taking an aggressive stance in order to expedite the transition to electric vehicles. Yet automakers are moving slowly — the Big Three in Detroit are taking a wait-and-see approach with vehicle electrification. And Germany’s finest are also dragging their feet. One automaker is leading the way. According to The Telegraph*, “Tesla, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, announced that its ‘budget’ Model 3 electric car went on sale earlier this month. This is the first Tesla car targeted for the mass market as it comes with a much more affordable [$35,000 USD] price tag.”.
Tesla can’t overhaul the industry all by itself. That said, worldwide EV growth is encouraging, “as many governments look to cut down their carbon emissions. The production level of electric cars has increased in line with the growing demand. In 2016, there are more than two million electric cars on the roads globally. The number marked 1,500pc growth since 2005, when there were slightly more than 1,000 of them… Sales of electric vehicles reached a new record in 2016, with 750,000 new electric vehicles being sold worldwide.”.
Source: The Telegraph
Norway remains the worldwide leader (by market share) in electric cars: “Norway is currently the leader in deploying electric vehicles successfully in its car market. Almost a third of cars sold in 2016 in the country are electric. In one of its cities, Bergen, electric cars have an almost 50pc market share of the year’s sales.”
Source: The Telegraph
Norway’s commitment to EV progress is unparalleled worldwide: “Norway’s success boils [down] to generous subsidies provided by the government. The country first introduced big incentives for electric cars in the 1990s. Electric car-driving Norwegians enjoy exemptions from purchasing taxes, no charges on toll roads, free parking and access to public bus lanes.”
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