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Germany Mulls Over Electric Car Incentives

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In the wake of falling gas prices, electric and hybrid cars are having a rough time of it. Largely, due to cheap gasoline, people have been choosing to buy SUVs and trucks rather than low-emissions options, leaving the low-emissions plans of governments falling short of the target.

In Germany, Europe’s largest car market, the government hoped to have 1 million electric cars on the roads by 2020, in order to replace polluting alternatives. However, with only about 50,000 electric and hybrid cars registered, German automaker executives and politicians met to discuss measures to help bolster electric and low-emission car sales.

One main proposal emerged: the government, in collaboration with automakers, would offer a subsidy of up to 5,000 euros (or about $5,500) for electric car buyers, with the automakers supplying between 1,500 and 2,000 euros of the subsidy. This sort of subsidy, plus other incentives, is already in place in Norway, where over 75,000 EVs have been registered as of the end of 2015.

Despite this meeting, nothing has been completely decided, as the meeting ended without a deal being drawn up. However, German economics minister Sigmar Gabriel said that the government and industry executives would attempt to find a solution by March.

Germany has been strolling along behind other car markets like Norway in both subsidies and in providing charging points.

News Sources: Reuters, EV Norway