About: electric vehicles
High time we start taking renewable electricity seriously as a transport fuel
Transport's contribution to EU emissions is more and more in the spotlight. Geert De Cock explains what the European Commission should do to get more renewable energy into our vehicles.
Fiat-Chrysler, Peugeot group closing in on merger
Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA, the maker of Peugeot and Citroen cars, moved a step closer on Wednesday (30 October) to creating a new global auto giant as the industry battles ever fiercer competition and the costly shift from traditional to electric cars.
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.
What’s driving mobility into the 2020s?
Road transport faces a number of challenges heading into the next decade, as competition, environmental and social issues all exert influence over the sector. Here is an overview of the challenges on the road ahead. For all matters related to...
Four of Europe’s unexpected electric movers and shakers
Electric-battery power is often branded as unsuitable for certain types of transport and vehicles, due to concerns like weight and power ratios. But several new developments ranging from shipping to motorsport are cause for a rethink.
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.
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...
Renault to study Fiat-Chrysler merger offer ‘with interest’
French carmaker Renault revealed on Monday (27 May) that it will “study with interest” a merger proposal tabled by Fiat-Chrysler that, if approved, would create one of the largest automobile companies in the world.
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.
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.
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).
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.
EU needs clean vehicle procurement rules to boost e-mobility in cities
Many European countries and cities have implemented measures to promote e-mobility. But to create scale in Europe, a constellation of disconnected initiatives is not enough to drive the needed change and action must be taken at a European level, writes Folker Franz.
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.
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.
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.
Electric trucks are necessary and coming anyway
Electric trucks will come – and fast. More and more studies show that they are not only feasible to build, but also profitable to operate. And zero emission trucks will be needed to meet the Paris climate goals, write Stef Cornelis and Thomas Earl.
Active energy storage for EV charging
Among alternative fuel vehicles, electric cars are the best positioned to overcome refuelling infrastructure challenges, writes Ian McClenny. The difficulty lies in having sufficient vehicle charging availability to reduce consumer’s range anxiety.
China dwarfs Europe on EV investments, figures show
European carmakers have invested seven times more in electric vehicle production lines in China than at home, according to industry figures collected by Transport & Environment (T&E), a green campaign group.
Europe’s e-mobility gamechangers
The European Union is starting to think in earnest about how to reduce the impact of transportation on the environment. But are plans to tackle a sector whose emissions continue to grow too strict or not ambitious enough?
Ambitious CO2 standards for trucks are good for businesses, and the climate
The starting point for truck emission rules must be cost-effectiveness, writes James Nix. But it will take tough standards to ensure R&D is deployed at scale on most vehicles, he argues.