An electric vehicle battery pack on the production line: China accounts for 76 per cent of EV battery output. Photograph: iStockThe European Union needs to rethink its policies to make a 2035 ban on new petrol car sales feasible as electric vehicles remain unaffordable and alternative fuel options are not credible, the EU’s external auditor said, jeopardising its 2050 climate goals.
The EU wants to have at least 30 million zero-emission cars on European roads by 2030, or about 12 per cent of the current car fleet. However, the European Court of Auditors cautioned the bloc may create new economic dependencies and hurt its own industry.As it stands, high EV production costs in Europe means the bloc will have to rely on cheap imports, mainly from China, if it sticks to the 2035 goal.
While EV purchases have been on the rise in the EU, the increase was largely due to subsidies. In addition, charging infrastructure is lacking with 70 per cent of charging points concentrated in just Germany, France and the Netherlands. The EU is falling short of its aim to set up one million charging stations across the bloc.