Batteries will play a defining role in the 21st century economy. Vehicles, homes, industry will all transition to electricity and partially or fully rely on battery storage. Europe has made real progress in developing a battery supply chain, resulting in several gigafactories being built (Nortvolt is one example).
If the European Green Deal is to radically reduce the EU’s climate impact, it has to radically reshape European transport. Today T&E presents its vision of what the EGD should mean for transport. It can be downloaded below.
Sales of electric cars rose 81% in Europe in the final quarter of 2019, new figures show. Electric cars - which include battery electrics and plug-in hybrids - accounted for 4.4% of total new car sales in the period, according to the auto industry federation ACEA.
Trucks account for only 2% of the vehicles on the road. Yet they are responsible for 22% of road transport CO2 emissions in the EU. And this trend is rising.
“I see a pivotal role for hydrogen,” in Europe’s efforts to achieve its climate goals, said Frans Timmermans. And up jumped the crowd in a rare standing ovation for a climate commissioner. Hydrogen is the talk of the town and the Commission is widely expected to make it a big priority in its green industrial strategy. So, are we about to enter the golden age for hydrogen and - if so - what does it mean for transport?
Campaign and research group Transport and Environment (T&E) congratulates the UK government for its bold proposal to end sales of all cars with engines within 15 years and, if possible, earlier. The announcement is an essential step towards the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
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Zero-emission transport can only happen with zero-emission infrastructure. That is the message from a new analysis by T&E that shows how much investment has to be made in e-vehicle charging points in the next decade if the EU is to remain on course to be climate-neutral by 2050. T&E says the findings show the need for more European investment in charging points.
The green number plate proposal by the UK Department for Transport provides a worthwhile nudge to the growing market for electric vehicles complementing other more important initiatives to encourage purchase like the plug-in car grant and benefit in kind company car tax breaks.
“Our most pressing challenge is keeping our planet healthy. This is the greatest responsibility and opportunity of our times ... To make this happen, I will put forward a Green Deal for Europe.” Ursula von der Leyen was in Rooseveltian form in her acceptance speech five months ago. Now in her second week of office, having gone to the Climate Conference in Madrid in her first, von der Leyen is gearing up for a very ambitious first 100 days. Is she living up to the high bar she and her Vice-President Frans Timmermans set themselves? Broadly, yes.
The carbon footprint of the most common type of battery for electric cars is estimated to be 61-106kg of CO2 emissions equivalent per kilowatt hour of battery capacity, according to the latest data compiled and modelled by battery researchers at IVL Sweden. This is 2 to 3 times lower than the 150-200kg of CO2eq estimate measured by the same researchers back in 2017. The 2017 study has been used several times by anti-EV commentators to discredit the climate performance of EVs.
