Electric vehicles
Climate NGOs threaten legal action against German car giants
Greenpeace and German environmental NGO Deutsche Umwelthilfe will take legal action against Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz, and gas and oil firm Wintershall Dea if they do not step up policies to tackle climate change, they said on Friday 5 November.
Zero emission vehicle declaration disappoints as manufacturers, countries abstain
A COP26 pledge to stop the sale of polluting vehicles by 2040 has been called insufficient by climate campaigners, who criticised the absence of major economies, including the US, Germany, and France, as well as leading car manufacturers, such as Volkswagen and Toyota.
EU’s buildings directive should give EV owners the right to a smart plug
Smart EV charging receives little attention in the debate around the energy performance of buildings. However, with a ‘right to plug’, buildings can spearhead the transition towards clean mobility, write Luka De Bruyckere and Jaap Burger.
Industry anxious about mandatory recycling targets in EU battery law
Requiring companies to use recycled metals in new electric vehicle batteries is necessary to prevent manufacturers from opting for cheaper, freshly mined virgin materials, the EU says. Still, the automotive sector, battery makers and the mining industry are all anxious about the upcoming EU battery regulation.
Mining industry warns against Europe’s drive for raw material ‘autonomy’
Relying solely on raw materials sourced within Europe could incentivise the use of cheaper, non-recyclable batteries, increasing the need to mine virgin materials to power electric vehicles, industry has said.
Simona Bonafè MEP: Recovery of raw materials is cornerstone of EU battery law
The European Commission has proposed new standards which would make batteries produced and sold in Europe the greenest in the world. MEP Simona Bonafè spoke to EURACTIV about the EU's battery regulation and the future of battery production in Europe.
Brussels defends EU battery law against charges from car industry
The European Commission has brushed off industry criticism that the upcoming EU battery regulation could raise the cost of electric vehicles, arguing that prices will fall thanks to increased manufacturing capacity ushered in by EU policies.
EU aims to dethrone Asia as world’s battery powerhouse
Brussels plans to wrest the title of global electric vehicle battery leader from Asia by supercharging Europe’s battery production and imposing strict green criteria that will make European products the de facto global standard.
European battery law will set global standard for the car industry, EU says
Proposed EU legislation to ensure materials for batteries are sourced ethically and sustainably will push up global standards, making Europe a "trailblazer" in the field, the European Commission has said.
China’s electric carmakers make their move on Europe
China's electric carmakers are darting into Europe, hoping to catch traditional auto giants cold and seize a slice of a market supercharged by the continent's drive towards zero emissions.
Portugal: Lithium preliminary environmental report identifies ‘some risks’
The preliminary environmental impact assessment report for the Lithium Prospecting and Exploration Programme identified "some risks" in the eight potential areas in the north and centre of the country, but still recognised the opportunity this could have for the economy's decarbonisation.
Swedish electric carmaker Polestar to go public
Electric car maker Polestar, controlled by Sweden's Volvo Cars and its Chinese owner Geely, said on Monday (27 September) it plans to go public in a stock market debut that could value it at around $20 billion (€17 billion).
Shift to EVs means huge ‘reskilling’ job for Europe: report
The shift to electric vehicles will force huge changes in the auto industry and require EU backing for 'reskilling' programs to help workers prepare for a zero-emission future, according to a report published on Tuesday (28 September).
Trust, not control: Germany, EVs and the power of consumer choice
Faced with the challenge of integrating electric vehicles without jeopardising power system reliability, Germany's federal energy ministry started work with distribution system operators on a new tariff design. What followed is a cautionary tale, write Andreas Jahn, Jaap Burger, Jan Rosenow.
VW’s electric push ‘can’t go any faster’, says CEO
Volkswagen chief executive Herbert Diess said Monday (6 September) it was "impossible" for the German car giant's electric transformation to happen any faster, but he accused Angela Merkel's government of holding back change with generous diesel subsidies.
Opel battery cell plant to get $500m German grant
Opel will receive a €437 million government grant for its battery cell factory in Kaiserslautern, Germany's economy ministry said on Thursday (2 September), as part of a wider European initiative to create a homegrown battery industry.
‘Game-changer’ for geothermal energy as UK plant unlocks vast supply of lithium
A geothermal power plant in the UK has discovered the highest concentration of lithium ever found in geothermal fluid, opening the door to a new business model for the renewable energy source.
German car parts suppliers fret over combustion engine phase-out
The European Commission’s Fit for 55 package will rapidly tighten emission standards for cars, effectively banning the sale of vehicles fitted with internal combustion engines by 2035. German carmakers had preempted the move, but parts suppliers and employees are worried.
Electric vehicles sales in France tripled in past two years
Plug-in hybrids and electric cars have increased in popularity in France, rising from 2.5% of all vehicles sold in 2019 to 7.5% today. The increase in sales is partly linked to the electric bonuses granted under the country's recovery plan, dubbed France Relance. EURACTIV France reports.
EU signals end of internal combustion engine by 2035
Sales of new cars and vans that produce carbon emissions will be banned as of 2035, proposals tabled by the European Commission revealed on Wednesday (14 July), a move which all but guarantees that the era of the internal combustion engine (ICE) is drawing to a close in the EU.
Narrow focus on electrifying vehicles will harm climate efforts, says fuels industry
Favouring electrification while ignoring low-carbon liquid fuels will hinder the bloc's efforts to decarbonise road transport, a prominent industry body has said ahead of the release of the EU's climate law package.
VW, Daimler, Volvo team up to build truck chargers
The truck manufacturing units of Volkswagen, Daimler and Volvo announced Monday (5 July) they will team up to build a network of 1,700 charging points for heavy-duty vehicles in Europe using green electricity.
Why is the European Commission dismantling the continent’s most successful EV charging model?
The Netherlands is a world leader in EV charging infrastructure, thanks partly to their use of multipliers – a statistical method that encourages the use of renewable energy in transport. But the European Commission's decision to eliminate multipliers for electricity will destroy the successful Dutch model, argues William Todts.
Volkswagen to stop selling combustion engines in Europe by 2035
Volkswagen said Sunday (27 June) it plans to stop producing cars with internal combustion engines in Europe for its eponymous flagship brand between 2033 and 2035, as the Germany auto giant accelerates its drive towards electric vehicles.