For the first time in Europe, registrations for EVs overtook diesel

However I do agree with you that many of the cars - essentially the entire milid-hybrid (MHEV) segment, IMO - is there just to get the numbers (electric motor kicks in just enough to lower the max CO2 in special cases). Locally (Croatia, HR), virtually all new cars have at least a MHEV option and some have no non-e option at all. They're really pushing it hard.

Even though MHEV could be considered "lipstick on a pig", it still has two useful effects:

- If it does lower CO2 emission in worst cases (start, overtake, etc), it still means it lowers the overall CO2 at least somewhat - every little bit helps.

- It normalizes electric vehicles. There are a people here who have extremely negative (subjective) opinions on them, and I'm talking general public, not petrolheads. Once you get a Slav to understand his (it's always his) beloved Golf running on batteries is not an abomination, the floodgates are open

Due to high gas prices, main impediment to switching to fully electric cars is not cost but infrastructure. In Croatia there's very little of it and it's often vandalized or gas-powered cars are parked in charging spots, etc. Thus a pleasant road-trip to the country or the coast turns into a logistical nightmare.

Similarly, for plug-hybrids, a lot of people that would have the means to buy such a car usually live in apartment buildings, often without dedicated parking spots so you have to hunt for a space around the block and you can't just plug in your car overnight.

Overall good, even if hybrids are terrible.

I thought hybrid is the only sane approach as you can cover 90% of your trips electric with a small battery. Or is the fuel motor always on in this car?

That saving is like going from 35mpg to 39mpg, or 50 to 58, or 27 to 29.

I don't think for transitioning to EV the form factor will be the problem. BMW will start delivering the first EV versions of my current car (X3) next year. For me, charging it where I live (city center) is the problem. Every time I see my neighbour roll his extension cord across the sidewalk I think 'no way I'm going to do that'.

Cars around you on the road get bigger so you feel more uncomfortable in your small car (just like some feel uncomfortable driving close to big trucks) so your next car will be a bigger one. I think this kind of anxiety is the reason for most people.

SUVs and crossovers have more tire sidewall and offer a much better ride around cities filled with pot holes and crumbing roads. The higher H-point (hip placement) means climbing up and in rather than having to lower yourself down, a much easier operation. The belt line is still high, but your seat is also higher, so greenhouse and visibility is better. Being father off the ground reduces the sensation of speed, so more timid drivers feel more confident.

Car markers also get much higher margins from SUV/crossovers, so they are pushing them hard. All the deals are for these big vehicles, so that's what people are buying.

Modern vehicles are so much more aerodynamic, so there isn't that much penalty for a crossover. They also share platforms with their sedan and traditional hatchback cousins, so there isn't even that much of a weight penalty. Tesla Model 3 and Y are the same vehicle underneath, and while Y pays a range penalty, it's pretty small at ~7% EPA.

Now imagine getting into a Honda Accord sedan. You have to bend down to get into the car, so your back is going to lean over and your knees are going to bend down...naturally causing your ankles to have to bend forward. Except ski boots and thumbtacks; Ow!! To get in you have to more or less turn your back to the car, splay your legs out and kinda fall back with your arms holding the sides of the frame of the car. Not a big deal but now imagine doing this times a day, every day, for the next 5 to 8 years. And I haven't even talked about trying to get out.

In an SUV at the right height, you turn your back, brace your butt atop the seat, lift your legs up and pivot into the car. No fuss. Barely any bending needed.

There's plenty of older people out there with chronic issues in their backs, spines, hips, knees, and/or ankles. Thing is, older people that are later in their careers tend to be the ones with the most purchasing power, and don't mind trading a slightly higher operating cost for more comfort.

Then I bought a SUV. It's a 4WD with and ample trunk. Now I can use my property to my liking according to my job time constraints rather then weather conditions.

But I sense your sub-sonic tone. I think the vast majority of SUV owners lives in a city with perfect snow removal in winter (if there even is snow at all) which hardly justifies owning such an ineffective car.

In my case, my decision was made by the thousands of poorly calibrated aftermarket LED headlights I regularly see in the US. They blind me all the time in a sedan, but in an SUV I'm just high enough up that I usually don't get totally blinded.

1) the US has experienced a massive boom in outdoor recreation over last five years. All west coast campgrounds booked out months in advance (if they accept reservations), ski destinations never been busier, etc. west coast culture has a large outdoor recreation aspect, even if most people only do one or two outdoorsy things a year, their self perception is they are “outdoorsy”. Multiple neighbors have suvs so they can occasionally go camping. Could easily do it in a car but then you’d have to have a self perception that’s a closer match to lazy city dweller 2) external image. Related to above, I have observed coworkers purchase new cars and the perception of the car was important. One particular example was a coworker who got a minivan for family. Wife was miserable for six months because she was worried about being perceived as a boring mom. Finally took a 5k hit and traded it in on a new Subaru. They drive 4K miles a year, never go camping, but wanted to fit that west coast image of active family. 3) they are just more comfortable and can fit more stuff. You can get by without a truck and still haul bags of soil etc. there are some small hatchbacks that can work for this (loved my old Honda Fit, amazing storage for tiny car), but a hatchback suv makes this much easier 4) actually use it as intended. I consider this the least common reason, but some people load up their AWD suv with four people and snow shoe or cross country ski gear and get out every weekend. You can do this in a car (I’ve done it in all sorts of vehicles) but you are more likely to run into issues with a car.

I’ve had tiny cars, compact suvs, full size suvs, a van, and now a truck, and it’s hard to imagine not having an suv because they are so versatile if you recreate. Throw a topper on your roof rack, get a set of snow tires, and you can go almost anywhere in any conditions.

With an EV, this equation of cost and range goes out the window. The difference between 300km and 400km range is huge.

Kids, stuff.

If you consider that, low sedans that make it harder to easily get in and out of the car for many people, are the abnormality, and the classical adult man high shape will keep increasing in popularity as cost and gas becomes less of an issue for more people.

The reasons pro SUV often boil down to:

  - I need to see more - indication that person isn't a good driver to have this need - my older bmw is super low and I see no problem there, sensible drive makes much more difference, but new/bad drivers want to buy extra safety feeling
  - people being sheepish, so they buy what is fashionate because others have it (although physics often disagrees its a good choice)
  - the "I drive rough terrain" - which often boils down to going to ski resort in the winter, you don't need SUV for that, not even 4x4 if roads are OK (which they 99% are in Europe at least)
  - people think only SUV can have 4x4, or only SUV are for rough terrain - marketing win for manufacturers

  - more consumption, often higher maintenance (bigger tires)
  - mentioned Audi allroad or similar gets exactly same job done as usual SUV
  - since they are tall, they are pretty small inside, smaller trunk
  - much worse driving properties due to higher centre of mass
  - rolling risk is much higher in SUV due again to higher centre of mass
  - subjective but within same brand, SUVs are plain fugly as hell, still waiting for a single one I could even remotely call a pretty car

- Smoother ride over worse roads, especially under-maintained roads

- An extension of that point: more travel options. Dirt road? Sure, and the SUV probably won't get as dirty. Gravel? I can probably take it without worrying. Need to clear a curb? Doable.

- Better visibility, and that's even after factoring in everyone buying an SUV

- Marginal efficiency hit (like 10-15%), which most people ignore with electric SUVs anyway, but even with gas or diesel it's just not enough to stop people from buying anymore compared to when SUVs truly guzzled gas. As an example, I had a BMW from a number of years ago that my SUV today outpaces in average gas mileage despite unchanged driving habits and better engine output as well as increased weight for the SUV. People are essentially offsetting engine efficiency gains by buying more car.

- More car to absorb impact in the event of a crash.

I can see why people buy them even before egos start to get involved around just how big the cars can be.

Let’s talk about some difficulties. It’s a temperamental beast at times. I live in the South, so I don’t have the “cold start” problem, but I don’t have an engine block heater either. So whenever I travel north, I have to take care. Haven’t had any real issues yet - the truck’s remote starter seems to fend for itself - but I’m wary of it. Repairs can be expensive, since all components are commercial-grade and are priced accordingly. Maintenance is more expensive, but it’s a much more rare event than in a gasser. Parking in an urban environment can be a pain. Parallel parking requires skill, and there are some multistory parking structures in which I will not fit. A little bit of upfront planning seems to alleviate these problems. The truck is loud, but you only really hear it when driving slowly between two large buildings. My neighbors don’t complain, especially since they benefit from it so much.

Oh, and I can smoke most other vehicles when doing a little Saturday night racing off a stop light.

If enough jurisdictions enact a hard deadline ban, automakers will have no choice but to rapidly retool for EV only manufacturing. We’re right at the precipice of the inflection point. Pushing for these deadlines in a few more large markets will push us over the edge.

Obligatory ask: If this is important to you, contact your government representatives and demand a timetable for combustion vehicle phaseout in your jurisdiction.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_fossil_fuel_vehic...

which state? this article is about europe as a whole?

>No taxes on EVs. Subsidies to the tune of 10000€. Per private purchase. There are certain types of lower end EV (like Renault Zoe) that can be purchased effectively for nearly free right now.

big if true, please point me towards this subsidy because I would like a free car

However, it did that at the cost of increased local air pollution. That doesn't matter much in the countryside, or for long distance goods transport, but it does matter in cities.

They exhaust high amounts of nitrous oxides (high-temperature lean combustion - same thing that makes them efficient!), and particulates (hard to evaporate and burn the fuel in the few milliseconds where power is made), which are bad for anything living by a major road, but don't hang around in the atmosphere for more than a few weeks. I've seen limited evidence of regional effects, but certainly not the global, centuries-long effects of CO2.

Diesel still is more efficient than electro taking the whole supply chain into account. The lack of efficiency of e-vehicles is only justified if you have a "I do not care about efficiency" power source = the sun. And even in that case its questionable if the required ressources to produce, distribute and refurbish batteries will ever outcompete the production ressource requirements of carbon fuel.

Not to speak about that you can pour every diesel in every car, this is not true for car batteries.

It wasn't a total lie, it turned out some diesel vehicles were much worse than others. I seem to remember Renault and Nissan were particularly bad but BMW and Land Rover were very good. We threw the baby out with the bath water.

Having said that I have little doubt EV's are a better option for the majority of uses.

Most electric car companies were bankrupt before 1920, however I would be surprised if not some application survived, making your statement technically correct.

So there may have been more electric cars in 1900 but not more electric car registrations

Take France, which is just next door to Germany. Electricity cost is easily half of Germany's, and CO₂ emissions are about one fifth.

I've gone from 50 €/month on diesel fuel to 10 €/month on very low CO₂ electricity.

I have 0.12€/kWh here in Finland.

Their readership loves stories about issues in the EU regardless of truth.

A quick look at their Wikipedia entry will give anyone that doesn’t know them an idea of their institutional xenophobia[1].

Disclaimer: obviously I’m an EU “Remainer/Rejoiner” so you judge my opinion of the Express by that.

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Express