The EV Revolution Isn’t Dead, It’s Just Getting Started!

There is a lot of hand wringing in the US, now that the MAGAlomaniacs are in control of all three branches of government. Among their dirty deeds done dirt cheap are a series of policy changes that will revoke any and all incentives for automakers to build electric cars and for consumers to buy them. OK, the US chooses to sit on the sidelines and suck its thumb while it compiles a catalog of grievances? Fine. Let it. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is moving forward with the EV revolution and there is nothing the crybabies at the Heritage Foundation can do about it. Want proof? Consider this.

Denmark Sets EV Sales Record

People consider Norway to be an outlier when it comes to EV sales, which is understandable since electric and plug-in hybrid sales are now nearly 100 percent of the new car market in that country, but just south of Norway on the other side of the North Sea, Denmark is also seeing a surge in EV sales. In the first 6 months of 2025, nearly 90,000 new cars were sold in Denmark. Of that total, 57,171 were electric, according to Mobility.dk. That’s a 45 percent increase over last year. The Skoda Elroq was the best selling EV in Denmark last month.

But wait, there’s more. In most of Europe, many cars are purchased as business cars for valued employees. If we eliminate those business car purchases and just focus on private new car buyers, the percentage of electric cars jumps to nearly 80 percent. Eighty percent! Do Danes know something US shoppers do not? Apparently so.

“There was a high demand for electric cars in 2024, and we can see that interest has only grown this year, especially among private individuals who have really embraced the electric car,” said Mads Rørvig, CEO of Mobility Denmark. “This is a development that brings Denmark closer to the climate goals, because electric cars do not emit CO2, and therefore it is also a development that we must protect. Politicians should look at how a new car taxation model can create a simpler system that will benefit everyone and permanently support the green transition.”

600 Electric Buses For Italy

Here’s more good news. According to Electrive, Consip, the central purchasing agency for Italy, has begun the process of adding 600 battery electric buses, ranging from minibuses to articulated models, to the nation’s bus fleet. Those buses will be used for urban, intercity, and regional transportation needs.

70 five- and six-meter-long buses are included in the procurement plan, along with 90 eight-meter buses, 50 nine-meter buses, 90 ten-meter buses, and 190 twelve-meter buses for use in cities, and 60 standard 12-meter buses for intercity routes. The total cost is projected to be €650 million, which includes the charging infrastructure needed to keep the buses operational.

Italy’s electric bus market is expanding rapidly. In 2024, the fleet in the country grew by 1,000 electric buses. Last year, one in five newly registered buses there had an electric drivetrain. For urban buses, that figure was even higher at 40 percent.

Consip has been aggressive in adding battery-powered buses in Italy, starting in 2022 when it procured 1,000 electric buses. In May 2023, it launched a tender for 500 electric buses, including hydrogen fuel cell models. [Michael Barnard, please note.] This latest tender offer is a continuation of Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which provides funding to decarbonize public transport in accordance with EU climate objectives.

Electric Delivery Trucks For Australia

Woolworths, the largest supermarket chain in Australia, has agreed to lease 60 battery electric delivery trucks from UK-based Zenobe. The company describes its lease program as EVaaS, which stands for “Electric Vehicle as a Service” because it includes everything needed for the trucks to start earning their keep, including charging infrastructure, maintenance, and battery management.

Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation has invested AUD $6 million in Zenobe to help get the program started. The objective is to promote zero-emissions deliveries with electric delivery trucks in place of the high-emissions diesel vehicles in use today. CEFC says its financing will help Woolworths overcome the traditional hurdles to fleet electrification that include high upfront costs, a lack of infrastructure, and grid integration issues.

CEFC acts as the “green bank” for the Australian government. It says this investment is part of a wider AUD $19 million project to develop the country’s “first off-site multi-user charging hub” for battery electric trucks in Mascot, New South Wales. Approximately 20 of the 60 trucks will be based at this depot, with the other 40 deployed across New South Wales and Victoria.

Gareth Ridge, the director of EV fleets for Zenobe, told the press, “This support from the CEFC enables us to deliver electric trucks and charging infrastructure for Australia’s largest supermarket retailer. Through our Electric Vehicle as-a-Service model, we handle the upfront cost and complexity of fleet electrification and manage the entire transition so our customers can focus on their core business.”

Julia Hinwood, who heads infrastructure development for CEFC, added, “Investing in Zenobē’s shared infrastructure model will allow major logistics and freight operators and users to transition to electric vehicles without the significant capital expenditure and complexity associated with the uptake of BETs. It is essential to address the finance gap present in electrification of heavy fleet transport to accelerate the decarbonization requirements within the sector.”

Battery Electric Freight Handling Equipment

Chances are, most CleanTechnica readers don’t spend a lot of time shuffling empty containers around freight terminals, but if they did, they would be inhaling diesel exhaust fumes all day every day. Hyster has just announced a battery-powered lift for empty containers that can stack as much as 4 levels high.

“The J6-7XD-EC3/4 series combines the rugged reliability Hyster is known for with the benefits of clean power from an integrated lithium-ion battery,” said Ricky Hirani, of the big trucks division of Hyster. “The shipping and containerization industries have a continued focus on sustainability, so the new empty container handler provides a flexible solution for reducing carbon emissions, without compromising on throughput or dependability.”

The new Hyster model features 350V architecture which is optimized for both energy efficiency and long uptime. Although higher voltage systems were considered, they would have raised the purchase price of the equipment considerably. The right-sized batteries can also be configured to meet specific application demands. The trucks use the CCS charging system, which makes it easy to integrate them into existing EV charging infrastructure.

The new electric container handler not only eliminates the emissions typically associated with diesel-powered equipment, but also the noise. A full color 7-inch integrated performance display and intuitive control layout support ease of use and operator confidence, even in complex handling scenarios. Operators will benefit from commonality between the new model’s controls and those found across other Hyster Big Trucks and container handlers, making it easy to transition to the new model without the errors that can occur if operators are presented with unfamiliar control systems.

The Takeaway

Sharp-eyed readers will note that much of this news pertains to commercial vehicles. That is partially due to electric buses, trucks, and freight handling equipment having proven to be less expensive to operate and maintain compared to traditional diesel-powered equipment. The US may be happy to slip backwards, but the rest of the world has recognized the benefits of electric power and is embracing the transition to electric vehicles. The EV revolution is happening, with or without the Untied States.