Electric cars
VW and Ford launch largest electric and self-driving car alliance
German carmaker giant Volkswagen has inked a partnership with US rival Ford that will focus on developing electric and autonomous vehicles, the CEOs of the two companies announced on Tuesday (15 January).
Electric bikes still face uphill ride in EU as China tariffs take effect
EU rules are doing a lot to promote the use of electric vehicles but tax reform proposals and motor insurance requirements risk undercutting a growing market for electric bicycles.
EU talks to set CO2 emission limits for cars founder
The European Union failed on Tuesday (11 December) to reach a compromise over how sharply to curb carbon dioxide emissions from cars and vans as car-producing countries and more environmentally conscious lawmakers could not find a compromise.
IEA chief: Ethanol ‘very important’ to reduce oil dependence
Ethanol will have a very important role in decarbonising the transport sector globally, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) told EURACTIV.com. Another energy expert said electrification will play a major role in transport but is not applicable to all sectors, which is where biofuels come in.
Biofuels and electromobility are key in Portugal’s transport decarbonisation
Portugal will use both electromobility and biofuels to decarbonise its transport sector by 2050, José Mendes, Portuguese First Secretary of State for Mobility - Environment and Energy Transition, told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
IPCC scientist: E-mobility not the only way to decarbonise transport
When it comes to decarbonisation of transport, switching to electric cars is just one option and there are a number of others, such as biofuels, that should not be discarded, a scientist from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), told EURACTIV.com on the sidelines of COP24 in Katowice.
Don’t let European carmakers lose the race to electrification
Stronger clean car standards and electric vehicle (EV) incentives will help Europe’s automakers remain competitive in the rapidly electrifying global market, writes Ashok Jhunjhunwala.
Time for Austrian presidency to make a deal on car CO2 or go home
The last time a car CO2 regulation was negotiated in 2013, the agreement was blocked at the last moment by Germany, resulting in a year of delay and renegotiation. This year, it looks like history could be about to repeat itself, writes Greg Archer.
EU talks on car CO2 curbs risk stalling
European Union negotiators are locked in talks about new rules meant to cut carbon emissions from light vehicles but the complexity of the proposed regulation threatens to bog down the negotiations.
A strong EV benchmark can cut transport emissions and help modernise Europe’s electricity grid
Over a century ago, electric vehicles (EVs) were the best-selling cars on the market. Bringing them back on today’s roads will not only help to decarbonise transport, but the energy sector too, with wider benefits for society, argues Julia Hildermeier.
Brexiteer vacuum inventor to build electric cars in Singapore
James Dyson, the billionaire British inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, has chosen to build his electric car in Singapore to be close to Asian customers, supply chains and a highly skilled workforce.
Europe’s clean transport revolution continues
There is now a clear EU majority, led by the Nordic countries, for tougher targets on car emissions, writes Sanjeev Kumar. The big questions now relates to charging points for electric vehicles and whether they can charge fast enough, he writes.
Tough CO2 targets ‘could cost 100,000 jobs’: VW chief
Setting European Union targets for reducing cars' greenhouse gas output that are too ambitious could backfire with the loss of 100,000 jobs, Volkswagen chief executive Herbert Diess said Thursday.
Denmark to ban petrol and diesel car sales by 2030
Denmark announced on Tuesday (2 October) that it will ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines by 2030 and hopes to have 1 million electric and hybrid cars on the roads by then.
How building renovation and electrification of transport can help us reach the Paris goals
At first glance, buildings and transport may look like two unrelated subjects. But with the mass deployment of electric vehicles, managing the electricity consumption of cars when they recharge becomes critical to ensure grid stability, writes Harry Verhaar.
‘We don’t have to rush our trucks legislation’, warns MEP
The head of the European Parliament’s environment committee has urged her MEP colleagues not to rush the adoption of new EU rules on heavy-duty vehicle emissions, casting doubt on whether the Third Mobility Package can be finalised under this current Parliament.
Truck emissions and the Pandora’s Box of ambition
EU lawmakers are currently tinkering with the European Commission’s first attempt to regulate heavy-duty vehicle CO2 emissions. But a debate is now raging about how strict those cuts should be and how soon they should be enforced.
Energy Web Foundation: Blockchain essential for EV growth, community solar
Distributed energy solutions such as solar PV, batteries, and smart controls are getting cheaper by the day and will soon outperform traditional energy sources such as coal, gas, and nuclear power, says Hervé Touati. In any case, Blockchain-type solutions will be needed for the mass deployment of electric vehicles, he warns.
We have five years to choose between transport heaven or hell
The expected benefits of electrified and shared vehicles are real and quantified. Yet, they are not guaranteed. There is another, darker, pathway that we could inadvertently slip into, called the “Hell Scenario” of autonomous mobility, warns Robin Chase.
10 years to ditch fossil fuel car engines, save Paris climate target, warns study
Europe must stop selling new petrol, diesel and conventional hybrid cars by 2028 in order to stand a better chance of honouring the Paris Agreement’s most ambitious target, according to a new study.
Rethinking transport: Driving Europe towards sustainable mobility
As cutting emissions out of transport gains in political and scientific importance, Diego Garcia Carvajal writes during European Mobility Week that the time is ripe to embrace electric cars on a grand scale.
‘Chicken and egg’ electric cars spark debate about battery charging
Carmakers and e-mobility advocates continue to be at odds over whether lack of choice of electric vehicles or lack of charging infrastructure is the main thing holding Europe back from embracing a transport revolution. A new study insists that there are chargers-a-plenty already.
CO2 limits on cars risk ‘social catastrophe’, industry says
The European Commission may have underestimated the impact a “forced push” for more electric cars could have on EU jobs, Europe's leading carmaker association has said as lawmakers begin in earnest to look into newly proposed limits on CO2 emissions.
Merkel speaks out against more ambitious EU climate targets
German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke against setting more ambitious EU climate targets on Sunday (26 August) but supported the idea of a transition towards a decarbonised transport sector.