Letter: Good reason EVs are sold in dense urban markets

Brooke Masters notes that there is no economic rationale for an extensive national electric vehicle charging network in the US (“How to crack the economics of EV charging”, Opinion, May 16).

This is a microcosm of a global reality, with EV infrastructure requirements making the technology unrealistic for mass adoption in the rural economy and much of the southern hemisphere. There’s good reason why 85 per cent of EVs still are sold in the dense, urbanised markets like Europe or China at the moment.

For many regions, a new generation of internal combustion engines (ICEs) are going to remain the most viable solutions for years to come. This is why markets like Brazil instead lean on the use of clean bioethanol-powered engines (which make up 80 per cent of new vehicle sales), and others like India are implementing a policy for 20 per cent blending of bioethanol in petrol by 2030.

While we should promote EVs where viable, policymakers and investors must also remember that low-emission combustion and hybrid engines are going to remain a staple of transport. Given that, the conversation must also involve provision of sustainable, alternative fuels for use in ICEs. There’s no global, universal solution for sustainable mobility.

Patrice Haettel
Chief Executive, Horse Powertrain Solutions, Madrid, Spain