Climate Goals Mean Europe Will Overtake Us In Electric Cars

European carmakers are rolling out electric vehicles like the ones on view this week at the Paris Motor Show to burnish their reputations as technology leaders and to compete with Tesla. But also because EU regulations dont leave them much choice.

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New emission standards mean Europe will soon see an upsurge in electric offerings, outpacing the United States, where the regulatory push has eased under the Trump administration, but still likely lagging China, where the government is mandating more e-cars.

The new rules could increase sales of electrics in Europe from a minuscule 0.6 percent of the 14.5-million vehicle annual market to the high single digits over the next five or six years. From about 10 available models there would be several dozen to choose from.

Many questions remain open, not least the availability of public, fast-charging stations to match Tesla’s proprietary network. And customers, especially those aiming to get the most for their money, may think electrics are virtuous enough in theory — but in practice don’t buy them because they cost more, and because reliable places to charge up away from home remain scarce.

At the Paris show, Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz is showing off the EQC, while Volkswagen’s Audi has the e-tron, both battery-powered. They should be on the streets in the next few months, the e-tron this year and the EQC in 2019. PSA Group’s luxury brand, DS, is showing off the DS 3 Crossback, a compact SUV that will offer an all-electric version from the second half of 2019. Volkswagen will follow in 2020 with its ID electric four-door compact. BMW already makes the i3 compact and plans an electric version of its X3 SUV in 2020.

Automakers are obviously trying to grab some of the buzz Tesla earned with its Model X SUV and Model S high-performance sedan.

But the European Union’s collective effort to cut the output of greenhouse gases also weighs heavily in the automakers’ plans.