The World Is Changing - less oil demand and more natural gas demand?
This is a question for investors who look globally. Will demand for gasoline and diesel crater as electrification expands across all classes of vehicles?
Cheaper EVs Are Helping Fuel Europe’s Electric Car Boom
Andrei Nedelea insideevs.com
- EU electric car sales rose 45% through August, with more affordable models helping drive growth.
- Five of Europe’s top 20 plug-in models offer electric versions below €30,000 in at least one market.
- Higher fuel prices are also pushing Europeans to switch to electric, although pricier EVs remain major sellers.
It turns out that giving people more electric cars they can afford is a very effective way of selling more of them. Europe’s EV sales have hit a new record this year, according to a new study, with smaller, cheaper models helping driving that growth.
According a new report from Transport & Environment, an advocacy group, electric car sales in the European Union reached 1.64 million units from January through August, up 45% year over year. They accounted for roughly 22% of new cars sold, while the choice of electric models expanded by 50% compared to a year ago.
Transport & Environment notes that this is happening alongside an influx of new affordable EVs that have hit the market due to tightening CO2 targets in Europe. Five of Europe’s top 20 best-selling EVs start below €30,000 ($33,600), based on their German price before incentives.
The organization forecasts that sales of electric models with starting prices below €25,000 will be seven times their 2024 level this year. It expects 16 models below that threshold to be available by the end of 2026. That’s twice as many as last year.
Renault seems to have figured it out: After launching the 5 E-Tech, the EU’s third-best-selling EV in 2025 and best-selling electric subcompact, it has now launched the even cheaper Twingo, which is already proving to be a hit. The French automaker saw EV sales rise 63.2% in the first half of 2026, following a 72.2% jump in 2025.
New arrivals are also starting to show up in the charts. In August, the Kia EV2 recorded 4,429 registrations, the Cupra Raval added 3,608, and the grown-up new Volkswagen ID. Polo contributed 1,876 in its debut month.
Improving affordability isn’t the only way to get more people to choose EVs. Higher fuel prices have also created an undeniable economic incentive, making buyers more willing to switch. Still, this EU EV boom includes larger, pricier vehicles. According to JATO’s August figures, the Tesla Model Y, Skoda Elroq, BMW iX1, BMW iX3, and Volkswagen ID.4 each notched over 6,000 registrations.
What do you think?
European manufacturers are supplying much of that expanding choice. T&E notes that they account for nearly 60% of available electric models, with 16 new additions in the first half of 2026. Chinese automakers hold 21% of the market and added 11 over the same period.
So while a handful of cheap hatchbacks haven’t single-handedly electrified Europe, they are helping. With an even broader selection of affordable models coming by the end of the year, we may start to see even more cheap EVs among Europe’s best sellers in 2027.
Views: 220
Replies to This Discussion
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Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Rock Man on -
Things will change - but "crater" is too strong a term for what will happen.
O&G business will pivot and adjust.
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Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on -
The crater comment is directed at vehicle demand for gasoline and diesel. Electrification is not only spreading globally, it is reaching into vehicle segments that are relatively new like long haul trucking. As fuel costs drive more and more trucking companies into bankruptcy, electric semi trucks are on the radar of many companies. Europe already leads the way in medium range trucking.
The Tesla Semi is a Class 8 battery-electric semi-trailer truck that offers up to 500 miles of estimated range when fully loaded.
Key Specifications and Performance
- Models & Range: Available in a Standard Range variant offering 325 miles and a Long Range variant offering up to 500 miles on a single charge.
- Powertrain: Equipped with a three-motor independent system that provides over 1,000 horsepower.
- Weight & Capacity: Features a gross combination weight rating of up to 82,000 lbs and can haul loads up to 45,000 lbs.
- Charging: Supports 1.2 megawatt charging capability via a Megacharger, recovering up to 60% of the battery range in about 30 minutes.
Production and Fleet Adoption
- Manufacturing: Production is scaling up with a dedicated facility targeting an annual output of 50,000 trucks.
- Customers: Major commercial fleets like PepsiCo, DHL, US Foods, and IMC Logistics are actively integrating or placing major orders for the Tesla Semi.
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landownerPermalink Reply by Dale Walton on -
Until they can vastly improve the charging infrastructure in the US I will stick with gas vehicles for cross country. FSD for around town is a huge plus if you can plug in at night.
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Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on -
The US will eventually join the rest of the world driving EVs. Range will become less of an issue over time and charging infrastructure will become as ubiquitous as gas stations are today. My major concern is whether the US auto industry survives the transition from fossil fuels. The rest of the world is going electric while the US is going backwards.
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landownerPermalink Reply by Dale Walton on -
So an EV has batteries that degrade. Very little re sale value. That may be an issue. What happens during a mass evacuation in the form of a hurricane or something worse?
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Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on -
I have internet alerts with key words and read a good bit of EV and battery tech articles from good sources. The amount of investment flowing into battery technology is stunning and the number of companies and universities working on it is quite large globally. EV battery life span is now equal to or greater than the average number of years an ICE model is on the road. As batteries become less expensive if someone wants to drive an EV for more than 500,000 miles it can be an economic decision. As to resale value, today's used EVs are from Version 1.0. We are now into version 2.0 for new EVs and 3.0 will not be far behind. The decrease in battery cost and the increase in range is steady in countries that prioritize the technology. European auto makers see the future and the competition from the Chinese and are working hard to match them on features and cost. The next wave, 3.0, will include for the first time considerably cheaper models Those automakers that can compete with the Chinese will have a life after 3.0. Those that can not will be bankrupt. It is only a matter of time. If members would like, I can start a EV group and start posting the articles I get there.
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Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Rock Man on -
Good points - but Dale brings up an important issue about disposal and - in turn - environmental impact.
Ripple effect here on several levels.
No different than what to do with "used up" wind turbines.
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Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on -
Battery recycling is part of the vast investments. There is no part of the chain of manufacture and disposal that is not being prioritized. That is the reason that so much funding and so many separate companies and universities are involved. There are now means to recycle those turbine blades.
Wind turbine blades are recycled and reused through mechanical shredding for cement co-processing, thermal pyrolysis to recover glass fibers, and creative structural repurposing.
Old wind turbine blades are hard to recycle because they use strong composite materials like fiberglass and carbon fibers bound in tough thermoset resins. Newer methods now turn this waste into useful materials.
Methods to Recycle and Reuse Blades
- Cement Co-Processing: Companies like Veolia North America shred blades into small pieces and feed them into cement kilns. The organic resin burns for energy, while the remaining glass and minerals blend into the cement clinker, cutting carbon emissions.
- Mechanical Shredding: Heavy machinery grinds blades into granules and fibers. Manufacturers use these recycled fibers to reinforce new concrete, make thermoplastic pellets, or mold vehicle parts and decking.
- Pyrolysis: Advanced recycling uses high heat (400 to 700°C) without oxygen to break down the plastic resin. This process by Carbon Rivers recovers clean, intact glass fibers for new manufacturing and creates usable pyrolysis oil.
- Direct Architectural Reuse: Due to their extreme durability, whole or cut sections of blades are repurposed into public benches, playground equipment, pedestrian bridges, and bike shelters.
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landownerPermalink Reply by Dale Walton on -
So starting tomorrow everyone in Houston drives and electric car. Then Hurricane Rita comes towards Houston. How many people die?
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Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on -
No more than those who didn't have a full tank of gas and had to wait in long lines at a gas station. I was in downtown Houston in 2017 at a meeting with Citi Group when Hurricane Harvey hit. The gas stations along the interstate were packed with cars attempting to fill up. I can assure you most of them took longer to fill up than it takes an EV to charge enough to get out of town.
The growth of charging infrastructure will pick back up in the next federal administration. And the time it takes to charge from 10% to 80% will approach the time it takes to wait in line and fill a tank with gas or diesel.
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Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Rock Man on -
Skip, you made the suggestion below about starting an EV group for these types of posts. I think that is a great idea.
Too often, various discussions start to go off into a different direction or focus - this may help avoid this from happening.
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Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on -
I'll try it and see how it lands with the members the next time I get an article that I think is worth sharing.
Click Forum and scroll down past the last discussion and click the "Follow" button.
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