“We need a government, of whatever political affiliation, that asks itself without complex questions what to do to revive the mobile fleet, the true polluter of our cities.” The president of the federation of official dealers (Faconauto) was so emphatic,
Gerardo Perezat the start of an exercise that is in danger of being lost as it is an electoral appointment.
The reality is that Spain is far from the electrification sales it needs to meet the targets set by the Sánchez government for 2025. According to forecasts by the national association of manufacturers, Anfac, in the next three years 99,139, 124,791 and 154,932 vehicles will be sold with the Zero label—electric and plug-in hybrids—when
these numbers should be 190,000, 280,000 and 372,000 respectively.
Homework is also undone when charging infrastructure. According to the president of Anfac,
Wayne GriffithsSpain should have 45,000 public chargers and it only has 16,500. In addition, 80% of these do not charge quickly«. Looking ahead to 2025, this figure should be 91,000 to meet the targets of the European Commission’s ‘Fit for 55’ programme.
“It is sad to write off the year in January,” they say from Ganvam, “but maneuverability in election years is very limited.” The industry’s other employers’ associations echo this sentiment, especially given that one of the figures who has done the most for the automotive industry, the Industry Minister,
maro kingswill leave his portfolio in April to become mayor of Madrid.
For Anfac, “2023 is an essential year to consolidate sales and restore the numbers of 1.2 million registrations”, something the three organizations agree on as the right number for Spain.
The main tool to boost demand for electric cars, the Moves plan, will remain active in 2023, but industry associations point to its shortcomings.
On the one hand, the slowness. It took up to a year for the subsidies to reach the buyers, and once they were received, they were calculated as additional income with the rent, so the tax brackets went up on the income tax return. Adjusting this would be a simple solution for Anfac that would make the support more attractive.
«If the movements were refined» confirms Gerardo Pérez, «
We calculate that it would go from a quota of 4% to 8%, but we will achieve nothing until we start selling modern combustion cars, which can continue to circulate until 2050«. Subsidizing the sale of thermal engines is something that the PP and Vox government candidates are openly in favor of.
The Moves encourages sales of models “that 80% of buyers can’t even consider,” according to Pérez, something that echoes
Raul Palacios, chairman of Ganvam. For his association, “an effective decarbonisation policy means ensuring access of all incomes to efficient mobility solutions, with plans that also include young people.” Combustion engines, new or used, Anfac has been silent. For the builders, the priority is to increase the share of electricity and they presented a roadmap for the next three years with binding targets for charging points.
For the next government they ask to follow the example of the German government
Olaf Scholtz, which the German car industry summoned less than a month after his election. In Spain, there is a dialogue mechanism between the government, employers and trade unions in the sector, the Automotive Roundtable, which has had only one meeting, in 2021, since its creation a year earlier.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
