Oliver Blume: Governments not doing enough on electric car chargers

The biggest threat to the electric car revolution is the failure of governments to keep pace, said Oliver Blume, global head of Volkswagen and Porsche.

Car manufacturers are doing their best to provide enough zero-emission vehicles, but politicians who have set strict deadlines to ban petrol and diesel cars from 2030 are not delivering public chargers fast enough, claims the boss of Europe’s largest carmaker.

Installing chargers was a collaboration between car manufacturers, energy suppliers and the government. But governments and the EU had to do more to meet their own targets, Blume told me in an exclusive interview.

It is not enough to define an ambitious goal. You need a clear plan and timing,” he said. ‘We will deliver the products. But the government needs to think about the charging infrastructure. We are prepared, but need more support. Every petrol station needs charging points.’

He was speaking just after the unveiling of Porsche’s £2 million electric Mission X hypercar to celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary at its headquarters near Stuttgart.

The 55-year-old Blume rules the gigantic Volkswagen group with brands such as Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Cupra, SEAT, Bugatti and the British Bentley.

Porsche is also developing a synthetic fuel for internal combustion engines. It convinces the German government and the EU to accept it as a green alternative to electric.

The Mission X 200 mph-plus 1,500 hp two-seater supercar accelerates from 0 to 100 mph in less than 2 seconds – and aims to become the world’s fastest accelerating car.

It is expected to be produced in a limited edition of approximately 1,000. Charging to 80 percent is expected to be possible in less than ten minutes.

With a length of 4.5 m, a width of 2 m and a height of only 1.2 m, the car’s four-wheel drive twin electric motor will run on wheels measuring 20 inches at the front and 21 inches at the rear and is designed for both road and track.

The company aims to have 50 percent of its vehicles purely electric by 2025 and 80 percent by 2030.

Hilo One e-scooter is launched

Former Aston Martin boss Dr. Andy Palmer swapped four wheels for two to launch the Hilo One e-scooter from the British tech startup he co-founded.

Special safety features are designed to reduce accidents – AI alerts the rider to potential hazards with visual and audible warnings, and a puddle light warns pedestrians and other road users of its presence at night. The 12.5-inch front wheel improves stability.

A folding system turns the Hilo One into a briefcase. Prices will start from around £1,750 from next year.

Two awards at ‘Oscars’ automotive industry

I am delighted to receive two gongs this week in the automotive industry ‘Oscars’ – Automotive Consumer Journalist of the Year and a Lifetime Achievement award for my coverage of cars with the Mail for nearly three decades.