{"id":22034,"date":"2022-06-01T13:55:44","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T12:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=22034"},"modified":"2022-06-01T13:55:44","modified_gmt":"2022-06-01T12:55:44","slug":"achieving-europes-climate-goals-zero-emission-transport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/achieving-europes-climate-goals-zero-emission-transport\/22034\/","title":{"rendered":"Fit for 55: Achieving Europe\u2019s climate goals with zero emission transport"},"content":{"rendered":"
Presented by the European Commission in July 2021 as part of the European Green Deal, the Fit for 55 package includes various proposals to revise and update EU legislation and policies to ensure they are in line with climate targets. This is one of the first key steps towards reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, and achieving climate neutrality in Europe by 2050.<\/p>\n
Within the Fit for 55 package, the Commission suggested that a combination of measures are required to tackle road transport emissions. It proposed that, to accelerate the transition to zero emission mobility, new car emissions must be reduced by 55% as of 2030, reaching a 100% reduction from 2021 levels by 2035. This will mean that all new cars registered from 2035 onwards should be zero emission. To ensure that drivers can charge or fuel their vehicles at a reliable network across Europe, the revised Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation will require Member States to expand charging capacity in line with zero emission car sales, and to install charging and fuelling points at regular intervals on major highways: every 60km for electric charging and every 150km for hydrogen refuelling.<\/p>\n
To find out if these proposals are feasible, particularly given recent societal changes such as the war in Ukraine, and what they mean for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, The Innovation Platform<\/em> spoke to a Spokesperson for the European Commission\u2019s Mobility and Transport department.<\/p>\n Driven by battery-electric market uptake, we are seeing real momentum for zero emission vehicles. Last year, almost every tenth passenger car sold in the EU was already zero emission. Manufacturers are massively investing now, and many new models are coming to the market.<\/p>\n We have also witnessed that, for example, the number of zero emission buses on our streets has increased seven-fold over the last five years. Light- and increasingly heavy-duty zero emission commercial vehicles are following. These are coming from a lower base, but numbers are growing rapidly. We will see more zero emission lorries for the long-haul segment in the coming years. For the last-mile and urban logistics segment, new vehicles are entering the market in quick succession.<\/p>\n The technologies are there. A stable long-term policy framework is indispensable for a fully accelerated market uptake, which at present is still hampered by model availabilities, higher purchase prices, lack of recharging and refuelling infrastructure, but also limited production capacities. With the Fit for 55 package, we are addressing the critical interplay of vehicles and recharging and refuelling infrastructure.<\/p>\n Our CO2<\/sub>\u00a0emission performance standards for vehicles are driving innovation and investment in zero emission powertrains. As part of the Fit for 55 package, we proposed to strengthen the standards and ensure that, by 2035, the emission reduction from new light-duty vehicles is 100% compared to 2021. Later this year, we will also propose more stringent CO2<\/sub>\u00a0performance standards for heavy-duty vehicles. This is already a very ambitious timetable and, considering the massive investments taking place, we are confident that it is the right approach.<\/p>\n To ensure user confidence, we also need sufficient recharging and refuelling infrastructure. In our proposal for a new Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), also part of Fit for 55, we set mandatory targets for recharging and refuelling points for both light- and heavy-duty vehicles. Through our proposal for a fleet-based target, we ensure that there is a sufficient take-up of publicly accessible recharging infrastructure.<\/p>\n Infrastructure always needs to be a step ahead of vehicle rollout, so the Commission is working closely with the European Parliament and the Council to reach an agreement soon on this important legislation.<\/p>\nThe EU Fit for 55 strategy proposes that all new cars registered as of 2035 must be zero emission. AVERE (The European Association for Electromobility) recently said they believe this target could be brought forward from 2035 to 2030. How feasible is this? What are the key obstacles for a transition to e-mobility and how can these be removed?<\/h3>\n