Believe it or not, the most popular electric vehicle in Germany isn’t an electric car
A Deloitte study surveyed commuters in Germany to determine the most common types of electric transportation used in the country. As it turns out, electric cars aren’t the most popular EVs on the road. That title goes to electric bicycles.
And it wasn’t even close.
According to the Deloitte study, survey respondents in Germany were 2.5 times as likely to report using an electric bicycle compared to an electric car.
Approximately 7% of respondents reported driving an electric car while 18% used an electric bicycle.
Electric cars were still the second most popular form of electric transportation, while electric scooters were close behind in third place. Electric mopeds, electric motorcycles, and electric micro-cars made up the smallest share of e-mobility vehicles.
Interestingly, electric bicycles were also chosen as the most “attractive” option among electric vehicles. In this case, “attractive” referred to how desirable it was to use that transportation option – not whether an electric bike was sexier than a Porsche Taycan.
As pointed out in Treehugger, the fact that electric bikes also serve as a form of exercise and recreation likely helped boost their popularity over cars.
That’s a conclusion supported by the study’s closer look at how each type of electric vehicle was used.
Respondents who selected a certain type of electric vehicle were asked which activities they used it for, giving a more detailed look at the transportation advantages and relative attractiveness of each type of EV.
While e-bikes proved much more popular for recreation as well as fitness, electric cars edged out e-bikes when it came to commuting and running errands. Electric cars were more than twice as likely to be used for commuting (65% versus 29%), but the gap was much closer when it came to running errands (68% versus 53%).
Germany is an interesting case study for e-bike use, as it is one of the leading countries for e-bike sales in a continent that has already shown high rates of e-bike adoption.
In fact, electric bike sales have outsold electric cars for years, especially in Europe, which has shown a strong affinity for commuting by e-bike.
Electric bikes are outselling electric cars in Europe today, but they’re actually on track to outsell all cars in Europe — gas or electric — later this decade.
That puts Europe well ahead of the pace of e-bike adoption in the US, where e-bikes only recently surpassed electric car sales.
Electrek’s Take
These findings don’t surprise me. If anything, I’m always surprised to see the sheer number of e-bikes on the streets each time I’m in Germany. I knew they were popular, but each time I visit Germany I’m overwhelmed by the number and variety of e-bikes and e-bike riders.
Electric bicycles become such an integrated part of people’s lives in much of Europe that it simply makes sense to have an e-bike the way many US families have a second (or third) car. And in densely populated German cities, like in many other countries in Europe, shirking car ownership altogether in favor of an e-bike makes even more sense.
Let’s just hope the US wakes up to this trend and that cities can invest in proper cycling infrastructure to support it.
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More than 100,000 home batteries across California stepped up as a virtual power plant last week in a scheduled test event, and the results were impressive, according to new analysis from The Brattle Group.
Sunrun was the largest aggregator, Tesla was the largest OEM, and most of the batteries were enrolled
in California’s Demand-Side Grid Support (DSGS) program.
Sunrun’s distributed battery fleet delivered more than two-thirds of the energy during a scheduled two-hour grid support test on July 29. In total, the event pumped an average of 535 megawatts (MW) onto the grid – enough to power over half of San Francisco.
The event, run between 7 and 9 pm, was coordinated by the California Energy Commission, CAISO (California Independent System Operator), and utilities to prepare for stress on the grid during August and September heat waves. And it worked.
Sunrun alone averaged over 360 MW during the two-hour window. The batteries kicked in right when electricity demand typically spikes in the evening, acting just like a traditional power plant, but from people’s homes.
Brattle’s analysis found that the battery output made a visible dent in statewide grid load, when the power is needed most. “Performance was consistent across the event, without major fluctuations or any attrition,” said Ryan Hledik, a principal at The Brattle Group. He called it “dependable, planning-grade performance at scale.”
Residential batteries, Hledik explained, don’t just help shave off demand during critical hours; they can reduce the need for new power plants entirely. “They can serve CAISO’s net peak, reduce the need to invest in new generation capacity, and relieve strain on the system associated with the evening load ramp,” he said.
This isn’t a one-off. Sunrun’s fleet already helped drop peak demand earlier this summer, delivering 325 MW during a similar event on June 24. The company compensates customers up to $150 per battery per season for participating.
Sunrun CEO Mary Powell summed it up: “Distributed home batteries are a powerful and flexible resource that reliably delivers power to the grid at a moment’s notice, benefiting all households by preventing blackouts, alleviating peak demand, and reducing extreme price spikes.”
Read more: The US’s largest virtual power plant now runs on 75,000 home batteries
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Hyundai’s new Elexio electric SUV, which is built in China, could be sold in overseas markets. The CEO of Hyundai Australia calls it “a promising vehicle” that could help the company regain market share from Tesla, BYD, and others.
Will Hyundai’s new Elexio SUV be sold overseas?
The Elexio SUV is the first dedicated electric vehicle from Hyundai’s joint venture with BAIC in China, Beijing Hyundai.
After unveiling it for the first time in May, Hyundai is preparing to launch the new Elexio in China in the next few weeks.
According to a new report, Hyundai’s new electric SUV could be sold in overseas markets, including Australia. Don Romano, the CEO of Hyundai Australia, told journalists (via EV Central) last week during the launch event for the new IONIQ 9 that the company has done a “terrible job” with its EVs so far.
“And the only explanation for that is that we haven’t put enough focus into it,” he explained. However, Romano promises the automaker will do better.
Hyundai plans to boost marketing and support its dealership network, which only began selling IONIQ EV models a little over a year ago.
In what mostly went under the radar, Romano also suggested the new Elexio SUV could arrive in Australia. “It’s under evaluation now,” he said, adding, “it’s definitely a promising vehicle.”
Despite this, it may have a few hurdles to clear. Hyundai’s Australian boss explained, “I still have work to do to ensure that it’s the right vehicle in the right segment at the right price for our market. And I have not reached that level yet.”
Romano told journalists that a final decision needs to be made “in the next 60 to 90 days,” and to check back in three months when he will have a definitive answer.
Hyundai Australia is also looking to launch the IONIQ 2, a smaller, more affordable EV to sit between the Inster EV and Kona Electric.
Romano said, “It’s a potential opportunity,” but didn’t provide any details. He said, at this point, he’s just glad Hyundai is producing it. “Now I just need to get the details and find out, will it fit into our overall product plan and create enough demand to where it becomes a viable option for us? So my initial thought is absolutely. Yep.” Hyundai Australia’s boss told journalists.
The new EVs would help Hyundai, which has been struggling to keep pace in the transition to electric, compete in Australia and other overseas markets.
As of June 2025, Hyundai has sold only 853 EVs in Australia. In comparison, Tesla has sold 14,146 electric vehicles, and BYD has sold over 8,300. Even Kia is selling more EVs in Australia, with 4,402 units sold in the first six months of the year.
Measuring 4,615 mm in length, 1,875 mm in width, and 1,673 mm in height, Hyundai’s electric SUV is slightly smaller than the Tesla Model Y.
It recently underwent three consecutive crash tests among several other global evaluations, consistently outperforming benchmarks. Based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform that powers nearly all Hyundai and Kia EVs, the Elexio has a CLTC driving range of up to 435 miles (700 km)
Hyundai is set to launch it in China in the third quarter of 2025. Prices have yet to be announced, but it’s expected to start at around 140,000 yuan ($19,500).
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