Europe Accelerates Electric-Car Shift With Subsidies, Bans (2)

Europe is taking unprecedented steps to phase out gasoline and diesel cars and bring an end to the almost 150-year-long era of the internal combustion engine.

The U.K.’s 2030 ban on cars lacking a plug and Germany’s four-year extension of subsidies for electric vehicles reflect the carrot-and-stick approach governments are taking to getting auto companies to embrace batteries. Regulatory pressure already has helped EVs seize a greater share of passenger-car sales in Europe than any other developed auto market in the world.

The industry has pleaded for the help because sales are sliding again due to the pandemic. There also ...