On Wednesday 25 March, European experts discussed the development of automotive mobility in the EU at a conference organised by the German automobile club, Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC) (see EUROPE 13787/16). While some defend the ‘all-electric’ approach, others advocate technological neutrality.
For Massimiliano Vascotto, Head of Public Affairs at the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), “the future of the automotive industry is electric”. However, there are two major areas where improvements are needed if electric vehicles are to be adopted by consumers: affordability and the availability of charging infrastructure.
On the first point, he explained that batteries were one of the main reasons for the high cost of electric vehicles: “40% of the value of an electric vehicle is a battery”. “So there will be an option between more expensive European batteries or slightly less expensive Chinese batteries. So, I understand it is really frustrating having to fight with Chinese entrants in the market”, he highlighted. In his view, this is a battle that Europe cannot win, unless there are technological breakthroughs such as the one with sodium. As for charging infrastructure, he felt that the industry could not do everything, and called for an ecosystem to “help us bridge that gap”.
Conversely, Karsten Schulze, President of ADAC’s Technical Services, felt that regulation must be “technology neutral”. “Alternative fuels such as e-fuels and sustainable biofuels need to be recognized earlier and with far greater consistency. The current EU proposals are not sufficient”, he said.
He wants a “genuinely holistic assessment of CO2 emissions” to be carried out. “Focusing solely on pipe emissions fails to capture the full potential of all available technologies”, he argued. He advocated for a comprehensive ‘well-to-wheel’ approach enables “a fair evaluation of both climate impact and technological opportunities”. He believes that fleet regulation should continue to develop in this area, and that “the central point remains the practicality of regulation”. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)