The statement came just ahead of November 4th meetings with the industry to discuss how both sides can accelerate the transition to EVs. That stepped-up strategy might be necessary. The European Union wants to be climate neutral by 2050, but countries like France want to ban sales of combustion engine cars by 2040. If either is going to happen, there will have to be enough chargers that drivers can buy EVs without worrying about where they'll recharge.

It might be an achievable goal. German automakers are not only pursuing mainstream EVs, they're frequently building the charging networks needed to keep those cars going. They have a vested interest in establishing large charging networks to both boost EV sales and improve their reputations. It might just be a question of whose networks are dominant instead of whether or not the 2030 goal is realistic.