The Long Night of Electromobility” comes at the beginning of May

The Long Night of Electromobility” comes at the beginning of May

"This is a project that has never been seen before in this form. I don't know of any comparable cross-brand project in all of Europe in which so many dealers are involved," says Günther Kerle, spokesman for the Austrian automobile importers. On May 5th and 6th, 2002, the “Long Night of Electromobility” will take place for the first time – based on similar campaigns by museums and churches. 23 car brands (only Stellantis and Nissan are not taking part among the major manufacturers) will be taking part in this campaign, and over 1,200 car dealerships across Austria will remain open until at least 9 p.m. on these two evenings to give interested customers the opportunity to find out more about electromobility in a festive and evening atmosphere with a few snacks. 

The selection of models is large, as Kerle emphasizes: "Almost all car manufacturers have committed themselves to meeting the strict EU fleet targets and are therefore bringing numerous new electrified models onto the market. From super sports cars to small vehicles through to vans and minibuses - you can get a good overview of what the future holds at the dealer of your choice," says the importers' spokesman. 

The interest group deliberately wants to send a positive signal with the campaign, after there is already enough to complain about and, yes, also criticize, due to the corona pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the manufacturers' delivery difficulties and the high fuel prices and lack of tax incentives. With the long night of e-mobility, the Vienna Autoshow would also like to compensate a little as a cross-brand project. The latter has now been canceled for two years in a row and, according to Jungse, the future is still completely open. 

“The automotive industry is currently experiencing the most challenging time ever,” says Kerle. “The transformation of the automotive industry is a once-in-a-century task, and the last few years have been characterized by never-ending crises.” The traders are the ones who suffer most. 

Their top representative emphasizes that the potential of electric cars is far from exhausted, especially since private individuals have hardly jumped on the bandwagon. “In 2021, over 33,000 electric cars were newly registered in Austria, so you can really speak of a trend towards e-mobility,” says Klaus Edelsbrunner. However, the federal committee lobby vehicle trade points out: “At second glance, it should be noted that 83.5 percent of new registrations were for legal entities and companies and only 16.5 percent were for private individuals.” 

According to Edelsbrunner, this is explained by the fact that companies take advantage of tax incentives. Of course, they can usually also charge the vehicles well. However, this is exactly where there would still be a problem in the private sector. “Especially in the city, when someone lives in an apartment, there are still major deficits in the charging infrastructure,” says Edelsbrunner: “That deters private individuals.” 

The stakeholders not only see a need for action to expand the charging infrastructure, but also the payment options need to become simpler and more efficient and the tariffs more transparent.