Electric cars: Still needing a push?

Time of India

21 hours ago

People have been dreaming about electric cars for a long time. In fact, the first electric car, called the Electrobat, was already driving around in 1894! And in 1909, an electric car even beat a petrol (gasoline) car in a traffic race. So why aren't electric cars everywhere by now?
Right now, only about 25 out of every 100 cars sold in the world are electric. That may sound like a lot, but most of these cars are made and bought in just one country — China. That means in the rest of the world, most people still use petrol or diesel cars, called ICE cars (short for internal combustion engine).
Even Tesla, the most famous electric car company, is struggling. It's selling fewer cars in Europe, and it's making less money. One big reason Tesla made so much money before was by selling something called carbon credits — basically, rewards from the government for making clean cars. But those rewards are starting to go away, especially in the US. And soon, people in the US will also lose a big $7,500 discount they got for buying electric cars.
China also spent a huge amount of money — around $231 billion — to help its electric car industry grow. Now, Chinese carmakers are building more cars than people want to buy, which is causing problems.
This raises a big question:
If electric cars are really the future, why do they still need so much help from governments?
When Henry Ford built his Model T car in 1908, it cost $850. Within a few years, he made it so efficiently that it cost only $300 — and millions of people bought it. He didn't need any government help to do that.
Electric cars are amazing for the planet. But maybe, just maybe, they need to learn how to survive without help — and roll forward on their own four wheels.
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