Drop in electric car sales weakens battery industry

Is the slowdown in sales of electric vehicles in Germany, the continent’s largest automotive market, jeopardizing the European battery industry? Concern is mounting within the German industrial union IG Metall, which, as bad news piles up for the sector, fears a lasting technological setback in this key technology for the future of the automobile.

Since the start of 2024, sales of battery-powered vehicles have slowed sharply in Germany (-16.4% compared to the first half of 2023), halting the momentum that started…