Merkel says Germany not to achieve 1 mln electric car target

German Chancellor Angela Merkel officially distanced herself from the federal government's e-mobility target to have one million electric cars on German roads by 2020, the local media reported on Tuesday.

"We will not achieve this target the way it looks at the moment," Merkel said Monday during a meeting with her party (CDU) in Berlin.

Experts have long considered the goal of one million electric cars on German roads by 2020 unrealistic in light of the slow sales, despite the buyer's premium for e-vehicles introduced in May 2016.

The high purchase cost, limited driving range, incomplete charging infrastructure and the long charging time are among reasons for the slow sales of electric cars, although technological advances and tax incentives could offset this in the future.

Germany produces 23 percent of electric cars globally. This number is contrasted by a share of 0.1 percent of electric cars on German roads, according to a recent analysis by the ING Diba bank.

Only three percent of the electric vehicles produced worldwide are registered in Germany, compared to 31 percent in China and 28 percent in the United States, said the analysis. Endit