Electric vehicles
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.
Europe powers up electric car battery drive
As electric car sales soar, Europe has started to build up its capacity to produce batteries on the continent but it remains far from reducing its dependence on Asia.
Rare earth metals at the heart of China’s rivalry with US, Europe
What if China were to cut off the United States and Europe from access to rare minerals that are essential to electric vehicles, wind turbines and drones?
Five steps the EU can take to create a circular economy for cars
While vehicles provide economic and societal benefits, they come with a sizeable carbon footprint. The European Green Deal is a chance for car manufacturers to make their processes more circular, write Maya Ben Dror and Tilmann Vahle.
Brussels promises new EU legislation for end-of-life vehicles in 2022
The European Commission will come forward at the end of 2022 with a proposal to remove the most polluting end-of-life vehicles from EU roads, European Green Deal Commissioner Frans Timmermans said on Thursday (10 June).
Mining is wreaking havoc – better recovery of battery metals will help
The EU’s proposed new standards for sustainable batteries are an opportunity to move away from destructive mining. The right policy measures can make the system more circular and avoid the mistakes of the past, write Benjamin Hitchcock Auciello and Alex Keynes.
RED III: Europe’s reality check
Transport is responsible for 27% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU and several pieces of legislation have failed to bring about major changes. The EU executive has already admitted that by 2030, oil will still drive Europe’s cars....
Spanish parliament approves clean energy bill
The Spanish parliament approved a clean energy bill on Thursday (13 May), aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in line with EU-level ambition and banning the sale of fossil fuel vehicles by 2040.
Spain’s car industry eyes extension of furlough schemes to save jobs
The Spanish car industry is mulling extending temporary lay-off schemes known as ERTEs currently due to expire at the end of the month until at least next September to mitigate the pandemic’s negative impact on the sector. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.
Spain pours billions into fight for slice of European electric vehicle sector
Spain is moving aggressively to land new battery and electric vehicle plants, using billions of European Union pandemic relief funds to avoid being left behind as the global auto sector undertakes the biggest technology transformation in a century.
Newspeak can’t obscure that EVs remain the most efficient choice
An attempt to redefine the notion of efficiency to bolster the case for synthetic fuels is simply a smokescreen to hide the truth: that battery electric vehicles are the far more efficient solution, writes Günter Hörmandinger.
Electrify key highways to accelerate shift to battery-powered trucks: report
A modest investment into charging infrastructure along major European motorways could herald a shift to low-carbon electric road freight over long distances, according to a new report by the green NGO Transport & Environment (T&E).
The EU’s green fuels law uses tools from the combustion engine age. It’s time for a change
Green electricity seems set to be the transport fuel of the future, but an unwillingness to look beyond the internal combustion engine has led to a focus on biofuels. The EU should allow fuel suppliers to meet environmental targets with renewable electricity, writes Geert De Cock.