Electric vehicles
Tesla chooses Berlin for European gigafactory
US electric car firm Tesla will build its European base of operations in Germany, near Berlin, according to company founder Elon Musk who made the long-awaited announcement on Tuesday (12 November).
‘No way around electrification,’ BMW says
Consumers are increasingly turning to electric vehicles – and they’re liking it, said BMW’s chief lobbyist in Europe, calling on policymakers to accelerate charging infrastructure deployment to support the roll-out of electric mobility on a mass scale.
Merkel aims to supercharge Germany’s electric car revolution
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday (3 November) that Germany should install 1 million electric car charging points by 2030, ahead of crunch talks with the Bundesrepublik’s car industry later on Monday.
EU to assess five critical minerals in low carbon quest
The European Commission is assessing five new minerals for possible inclusion in a revised list of critical raw materials to be published next year, as it seeks to bolster supply chains for a low emissions economy, a senior Commission official said.
Indonesian capital turns to Europe for transport solutions
Jakarta’s traffic jams shave billions off Indonesia's economic output every year. A new focus on improving public transport and picking up tips from Europe hopes to free up the congested streets of the megacity.
Honda speeds up plans to electrify car models in Europe
Japanese carmaker Honda has brought forward a goal to only sell electric and hybrid cars in Europe by three years to 2022, a leading company executive said on Wednesday (23 October).
The battery metal no one wants to talk about
It accounts for around 75% of all rechargeable energy storage around the world. It is in just about every car and truck, regardless of whether the vehicle has an internal-combustion engine, uses hybrid technology or is pure electric. Its proven...
International alliance of cities commits to tackling air pollution
Poor air quality causes 422,000 premature deaths deaths each year in Europe and EU member states have repeatedly been singled out for exceeding pollution thresholds. At the C40 Summit on Friday (11 October), 35 cities decided to take the matter into their own hands. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Battery pioneers awarded Nobel Prize
Three scientists have won the 2019 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for putting power in peoples’ pockets by developing rechargeable lithium-ion batteries which made the global information technology, mobile and fossil-fuel free revolutions possible.
Electric vehicles: How close are we to closing the global emissions gap?
Electric vehicles are a massive talking point on the agenda for tackling climate change but what are the challenges facing large-scale deployment and how far can they take us to close the global emissions gap? Lucy Craig explains the situation.
Sefcovic forsees ‘an Airbus for batteries, for 5G, AI, green tech’
In one of his first interviews since getting the nod to serve another five years in the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič talked about his new job, industrial policy and the "global mega-trends" the EU should lead heading into the next decade.
EU auto industry forms unlikely alliance with NGO on electric cars
Long-time adversaries Transport & Environment and ACEA have signed a partnership to roll out electric vehicle charging points, as the auto industry seeks to rebrand with a focus on digital and electric.
Time to give the transport sector the predictability it needs to thrive in a zero emission economy
Despite its clear potential for clean transportation, electro-mobility still does not seem to be the motor driving Europe’s economic, climate, and industrial policy, writes Folker Franz.
It’s a small world after all: Aerospace’s global reach
The aerospace industry builds the aircraft that allow people to travel the world. But the industry itself is a globe-trotter as well. Designing and building aircraft is a truly international endeavour, as experts and workers collaborate across borders to deliver products to a lucrative market.
Tesla mulls building mega-factory in Germany
American electric carmaker Tesla is reportedly on the hunt for locations in Germany to build one of its gigafactories, according to local media. Adding a European base of operations could help Elon Musk's firm avoid the worst effects of an ongoing trade war between the US and China.
Transport committee chair: The aim is to put climate on political agenda in all sectors
In an interview with EURACTIV's partner le Journal de l'Environnement, the newly elected chair of the European Parliament's committee on transport and tourism (TRAN), French Green MEP Karima Delli, spoke about her new priorities. These include relaunching the rail system, regulating transport in a climate-friendly manner and reducing car pollution.
Reducing car traffic could be the only solution to reduce air pollution
The massive reduction of car traffic could be the best solution to sustainably improving air quality, according to a report published by France's health and food safety agency (Anses) on Tuesday (16 July). EURACTIV's partner le Journal de l'Environnement reports.
Jaguar Land Rover to build electric cars at UK plant
Jaguar Land Rover is making a multi-million pound investment to build electric vehicles in Britain, in a major boost for the UK government and a sector hit by the slump in diesel sales and Brexit uncertainty.
Europe takes on China’s global dominance of rare earth metals
A new industry association was launched in Brussels last week with the aim of bringing together all the players in the supply chain of rare earth metals, which are vital to renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Dutch launch prototype solar car with 720km range
The prototype of a solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) able to travel 720km on a single charge was officially unveiled in Katwijk, the Netherlands today (25 June).
China scraps list of recommended car battery suppliers: ministry
China has scrapped its list of recommended battery suppliers, the industry ministry said on Monday (24 June), a decision foreign companies said could open up the world’s biggest market for electric vehicle batteries.
Swedish battery maker secures $1bn funding for Europe’s first ‘gigafactory’
Swedish start-up Northvolt Wednesday (12 June) announced it had secured funding, in large part from Volkswagen, for Europe’s biggest car battery factory, set to rival electric carmaker Tesla’s US “Gigafactory”. The battery producer said it had completed a $1 billion...
The EU is creating a sustainability label for raw materials
An EU research group is creating a certification method for raw materials, to be completed by 2021. The project is part of a push to sustainably mine the metals needed for Europe’s clean energy transition. But critics say certification is not the answer.
UK scientists warn raw material output must surge to match EV growth
British climate targets will require the current annual global production of cobalt to double by 2050, in order to satisfy electric vehicle growth demands. A large increase in other raw materials will also be needed, according to UK scientists.