Denmark Is Killing Tesla (And Other Electric Cars)

Electric cars seem to be having a tough time in Denmark, which is amusing, being that the country pioneered renewable energy. The root cause appears to surround a tax break, which was phased out by the government due to budgetary reasons, and the resulting prices have “killed the market.” Meanwhile, low or zero emission cars are blooming in neighboring Sweden thanks to a five-year tax break and a 40,000 kronor ($4,600) purchase premium.



…electric car dealers were for a long time spared the jaw-dropping import tax of 180 percent that Denmark applies on vehicles fueled by a traditional combustion engine. In the fall of 2015, the government announced the progressive phasing out of tax breaks on electric cars, citing budget constraints and the desire to level the playing field. Tesla, whose sales were skyrocketing at the time, lobbied against the move, with Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk warning during a visit to Copenhagen that sales would be hit. The new tax regime “completely killed the market,” Laerke Flader, head of the Danish Electric Car Alliance, said in a recent interview. “Price really matters.”

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Source: [H]ardOCP – Denmark Is Killing Tesla (And Other Electric Cars)