Electric vehicles
Germany to unleash e-scooters on streets
The upper house of the German parliament voted on Friday (17 May) to allow e-scooters onto the country’s streets, as the new urban vehicle continue to take Europe by storm.
Europe’s first mega battery factory gets EIB blessing
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is on the verge of granting €350 million to a Swedish company for what will be Europe’s first mega-sized battery factory, the EU lender announced on Thursday (16 May).
Brussels transport gets overhaul, courtesy of teenagers
Brussels is well known for its chocolate, its variety of beers, its art-deco buildings… and its traffic jams. High school students from all around Europe have now presented their proposals to make the town's mobility system more sustainable, thanks to the Sci-tech challenge.
What Daimler’s move on carbon-neutral cars says about the industry
Daimler, one of the world’s leading producers of premium cars and commercial vehicles, has announced new commitments to make its entire passenger car fleet carbon neutral by the close of 2039. This is the most ambitious timeline among any of the leading automakers and signals a rapid acceleration in the shift towards zero-carbon transport, writes Nigel Topping.
Is technology about to overcome the ‘too heavy to electrify’ obstacle?
The scientific literature remains sceptical about trucks becoming battery-operated due to the cost and weight of large battery packs. But that could change soon as costs of battery packs continues to fall, writes Björn Nykvist.
EU looks into ‘Airbus-style’ Franco-German battery plans
France and Germany launched an Airbus-style €6 billion foray into the battery-building business on Thursday (2 May), as the EU's attempts to corner a slice of a growing global market started to pay off.
Tesla expects global shortage of electric vehicle battery minerals – sources
US electric car maker Tesla expects global shortages of nickel, copper and other battery minerals down the road due to underinvestment in the mining sector, the company’s global supply manager for battery metals told an industry conference on Thursday (2 May), according to two sources.
Visegrad countries fight to keep pace with e-mobility transition
Central Europe falls under the EU average of electric vehicle market penetration. But it doesn’t want to be left behind by the global trend, leaping into battery production and dreaming even bigger. EURACTIV's network partners report.
Time for Germany to seize the opportunities of the EV transition
The German auto manufacturing industry is at a perilous moment in its long and illustrious history and it needs the help of the country’s policymakers to ensure its long-term success, writes Nigel Topping.
Norway and electric vehicles – a successful combination
Norway now has approximately 200,000 electric cars, which constitute around 7% of the passenger car fleet. The exemption of purchase tax and VAT are among the financial incentives that made this possible, writes Jon Georg Dale.
Battery manufacturers of Europe unite!
As electric vehicles begin to soar in popularity, one of the key members of the European Commission's in-house think-tank, Sami Andoura, asks: does Europe want to take the lead on electro-mobility or not?
Fiat Chrysler to pay Tesla for CO2 emissions credits
Fiat Chrysler (FCA) confirmed Sunday (7 April) that it is to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to Tesla, the zero-emissions electric carmakers, to avoid getting hit by European Commission fines.
‘Europe will have at least ten gigafactories’, says battery boss
Northvolt CEO Peter Carlsson wants to build Europe’s largest battery cell plant – in the middle of the Swedish countryside. In an interview, he explained how this should work and gave his thoughts on his new partner Volkswagen’s electromobility offensive.
Finland raises concerns in 5G vs WiFi connected vehicle debate
Finland has hit out at European Commission plans to develop cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS), saying the measures are "not technically neutral," according to a letter obtained by EURACTIV.
Europe risks ‘second mover’ status on battery tech, auditors warn
Europe could be left behind in the international battery-building race, the EU auditors have warned in a new report and stressed that better storage is needed if the bloc is to hit its climate and energy targets.
German transport commission feels the pressure
EU Commission department for mobility and transport (DG MOVE) presented its progress report this week but critics see the proposals as insufficiently ambitious. Hardly surprising when the Working Group responsible was under serious pressure, said an attendant. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Honda’s electrifying Europe plans for 2025
At the Geneva Motor Show, Japanese car giant Honda pledged on Tuesday (5 March) to sell only electric cars in Europe by 2025. It also unveiled its first full electric battery car for European production.
Tesla taps China’s market ahead of schedule
US electric car giant Tesla has started delivering its Model 3 car in China slightly ahead of schedule, as it looks to revive sales that have been hit hard by Sino-US trade tensions.
Poland to open electric vehicle factory, build tailor-made car
Polish energy companies are set to pool their resources and build an electric vehicles factory, as Warsaw targets 1 million EVs on the road by 2025.
E-trucks: European automakers’ third and final chance to get electrification right
Have European manufacturers learned from developments in the car and bus markets? Or will American and Chinese companies lead the way to tomorrow's zero emission freight transport? Lucien Mathieu poses some tough questions ahead of a big decision by EU negotiators.
Macron unveils Franco-German plan to give electric battery industry a jolt
A new Franco-German cooperation plan on battery cell production will include the construction of two factories, one in France and one in Germany, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday (13 February).
Europe agrees sales targets for ‘clean’ buses in cities
European Union lawmakers struck an agreement on Monday (11 February) on green public procurement rules for new buses requiring that local authorities purchase a minimum share of clean vehicles running on gas or electricity by 2025 and 2030.
Green tech expert: ‘Car ownership is nonsense’
The sharing economy can kill two birds with one stone by lowering the cost of green technologies and reducing polluting emissions, cleantech expert Radoslav Mizera told EURACTIV Slovakia.