The Government of Pedro Sánchez “cannot escape” from the sales crisis that the electric car is suffering in Europe and, therefore, it should take measures to promote the expansion of this mobility as soon as possible, according to the president of Kia Iberia, Emilio Herrera.
“If no action is taken before December 31 [cuando decae la prórroga del Plan Moves III] “Spain should forget about the electric car”assures the businessman, adding that, at this time, manufacturers are betting on an improvement in the support scheme for the acquisition of ‘zero-emission’ vehicles that contemplates fiscal measures – such as the elimination of VAT or modifications in personal income tax taxation – “more direct” that the subsidies are charged to current budgets and that “are slow to arrive.”
Meanwhile, the sector has another front that opens next January 1, 2025, when the application of the European regulation will come into force of 2019 named as ‘COFFEE’ in which a trajectory of reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from cars sold in the different community markets is foreseen, which will lead to the de facto ban in 2035 of new registrations of combustion cars.
Starting next year, in practice, manufacturers will be required to 15% emissions reduction compared to pre-2020 levels, which means having to sell one electric car for every four thermal ones in just eight weeks.
“We will comply with the CAFE regulations,” Herrera asserts, although he points out that he will do so at the European level without having to register a level of electric sales in Spain greater than 10%, considering that, at this time, “the market is not ready.”
However, with respect to the request of some European countries such as Italy or the Czech Republic to Brussels to bring it forward to 2025 – it is initially planned for 2026 – the review of the environmental agenda that contemplates the ban on the sale of combustion cars in the Old Continent by 2035the director of the automobile company claims to support these assumptions of Rome in which the community bloc is also told that a “wider range” of mobility solutions beyond battery electric vehicles and hydrogen cars, which are slowly adopted in the territory.
Asked if the import tariffs on Chinese electric cars are a ball of oxygen for the industry, Herrera admits that commercial obstacles “they are never a solution”although it must be taken into account that the idiosyncrasies of the Chinese automobile industry are “very different” from the Western one, since the companies of the Asian giant “do not mind selling at a loss for a long time”, something that, in his opinion , European or American companies “can’t have.”
“The global production capacity of the Chinese vehicle industry is 50 million units and its domestic market barely covers 28 million units of demand,” clarifies the president of Kia Iberia, who says he is “more concerned” about the China’s control of the battery value chain for the electric vehicle thanks to “its good raw materials” and their ability to extract and refine these materials: “they do it better than anyone else.”
Regarding the role that Europe could play In this cell industry, Herrera is critical and clear: “Here we do not want to open the mineswe don’t want to exploit them and we don’t know how to refine them. “Europe is not in this game.”
Batteries
Herrera spoke to Europa Press during the international presentation in Cascais (Portugal) of the group’s new compact C-SUVthe Kia EV3, a car that aspires to become “the main car in the home” thanks to a autonomy of up to 605 kilometers and available from 23,600 euros applying the car company discounts and the Moves III plan.
“We are almost at parity in prices with the EV3 than with a similar combustion car”he congratulates himself, before highlighting the “milestones” of the South Korean group since the launch of the product at the beginning of October: “In a month and a half we have managed to sell 500 units. If we sell 500 cars per month next year it would be delighted”.
However, when asked about the state of the electric car charging infrastructure, Herrera understands that it is not a product “for all audiences” because the vast majority of the Spanish population lives in apartments and “has nowhere to charge their vehicles.”
“Infrastructure must be accelerated to avoid future collapses”he advises, while insisting that the industry’s communication policy must be changed to eliminate the prejudices that exist among consumers regarding battery-powered cars. “For example, 95% of the time the chargers are not being used,” he points out.
Although in 2014 Kia was one of the first automobile groups to circulate an electric carthe Soul, with about 200 kilometers of autonomy, Herrera now highlights the advances that have allowed the EV3 to land with up to 773 kilometers of autonomy on an urban route.
Looking to the future, he predicts that they will be able to equip cars with solid-state batteries “lighter and with more autonomy” within three or five years. “Evolution is there”sentence.
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