Europe | Electric cars

Electric cars could be crucial for the EU to meet its climate goals

But only if the charging infrastructure is ramped up much faster

An empty electric vehicle parking space in an employee parking lot at the Puma SE campus in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Puma reports half year earnings on July 29. Photographer: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg via Getty Images — Image: Getty Images

May 22nd 2023|BERLIN

On the last weekend of April the Berlin showroom of niO, a Chinese maker of electric vehicles (EVs), was a happy place. On the first floor a family was celebrating a child’s birthday party. On the ground floor car enthusiasts inspected an SUV, a saloon and a racing car on display. The price tags were high (around €50,000, or $54,000, for the passenger car and almost €75,000 for the sUV; the racing car was not for sale) but they seemed considerably lower than those of German rivals such as Mercedes or bmw—until you read the fine print. The battery is not included. It must be bought for €12,000 or €21,000, depending on capacity; or rented.

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Europe’s electric opportunity”