Great idea, bad example
We knew that the European Union is not charmed by the somewhat protectionist EV subsidy in the United States. What is new is that, according to Reuters at least, there is a view to a solution that also includes EVs built in the EU
In the US, under the Inflation Reduction Act, an EV subsidy is only valid for electric cars built in the US. This has already sparked outrage on the European side. A French minister even expressed the opinion that European subsidies should only apply to European cars, which should also work against China in addition to the US.
It seems that another solution to the “American problem” is in the works. According to Reuters Agreements are being made under which the American subsidy should also apply to EVs from the EU. The argument of Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President of the European Commission, is clear: European EV subsidies have helped make Tesla’s cars so popular in Europe, so it would be fair to to give European brands the same opportunity.
Unlucky example
Dombrovskis specifically mentions the Tesla Model Y, which could call itself the most popular car in September. That example is less fortunately chosen, because the Model Y is being built in Germany and, according to a subsidy based on the American model, would indeed qualify for tax benefits. In the US, it is also about the construction location, and not about the home country of the manufacturer. The German-built Mercedes EQE is therefore not eligible, but the US-built EQE SUV is.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl