By not offering incentives, Australia could be best indicator of electric vehicles' real popularity

With numerous countries aggressively seeking ways to promote electric vehicles (EVs), incentives have popped up almost everywhere. From the $7,500 offered in the U.S. to $8,500 in Ontario, Canada, these incentives will help reduce the cost of EVs and hopefully speed up their initial adoption. While incentives are great, they will eventually disappear, leaving EVs to either succeed or fail on their own merits. When incentives drift away in a few years, will the EV market be able to survive on its own?

To answer that question, we could look to Australia. The land Down Under has chosen to forego incentives for now and will let EVs either thrive or struggle alone. Of course, declining to offer incentives has automakers like Nissan upset, but if Australia holds steadfast to its position, the country could be a great indicator of whether or not EVs can survive without monetary assistance. As Nissan Australia chief executive officer Dan Thompson told Ward's Auto:

The Australian government today has given a big fat zero to the idea of subsidies for EV buyers. In the past 12 months, we've seen 10 to 15 other countries adopt EV-friendly policies, but the Australian response has been mute.

It's seems likely that Australia will eventually commit to offer incentives, but if the country manages to hold out, then we can look to the Land Down Under for an indication of EVs' chances for long-term survival. Germany, too, bears watching.

[Source: Ward's Auto]