If you go back far enough there were now extinct lions in northern Europe as well. But wild lions as we know them today existed in Greece, the Balkans, etc. Even as late as the 10th century CE.
EVs are still much cheaper to run than ICEs though. Yes the battery is an expensive replacement but maintenance is still much cheaper because they don't have gearboxes, clutches, turbo chargers, catalytic converters, particulate filters, spark plugs, engine oil, timing belts, head gaskets, cylinders, exhausts, etc. etc.
If you think the Falklands should be part of Argentina, logically Hawaii should be part of Kiribati. Alaska should be Russian/Canadian, etc etc. If you think about it for more than a minute it becomes clear that geographical location is not the only factor or even the most important one.
If you go back far enough there were now extinct lions in northern Europe as well. But wild lions as we know them today existed in Greece, the Balkans, etc. Even as late as the 10th century CE.