Electric vehicles enter the European
“Future of Transport”
Brussels, 28 April 2009 – Many countries, including France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, recently announced strong measures in favour of electric vehicles. In order to encourage the spread of such measures at a European level, Going-Electric, the European Association for Battery Electric Vehicles, issued recommendations for the Communication on the Future of Transport to be adopted in June by the European Commission.
This contribution comprises a scientific study demonstrating the advantages of electric vehicles, as well as a position paper proposing a series of measures to be taken by the EU to become a leader in this technology of the future.
Going-Electric’s scientific study "Energy consumption, CO2 emissions and other considerations related to Battery Electric Vehicles" demonstrates that electric vehicles offer many advantages, notably:
Electric vehicles generate, with the EU electricity mix, less than half the CO2 of similar fossil fuel vehicles and consume significantly less energy.
Electric vehicles will not require significant increases in electrical infrastructure until their number reaches 20-25% of all cars.
The systematic use of electric vehicles for commuting and other short trips throughout the world would diminish oil consumption by about 20%, significantly reduce urban pollution, suppress almost all road noise, and alleviate traffic and parking congestion.
Going-Electric’s position paper proposes a series of measures which must be taken by the EU to become a leader in electrical vehicles production and commercialisation, thereby improving significantly the environmental footprint of European transport while maintaining Europe’s competitiveness and jobs in the automotive sector. US battery producers, car manufacturers and consumers are already receiving governmental subsidies, and China’s manufacturers have a strong competitive advantage in terms of cost.
The measures proposed by Going-Electric include incentives for manufacturers, consumers and cities. Firstly, car and battery manufacturers need financial incentives to further develop electric vehicle technology and invest in production plants. Priorities include:
Subsidies for research on automotive battery technology
Subsidies for investments in the mass production of electric vehicle and their parts
Secondly, cities need incentives to develop the infrastructure to charge electric vehicles on public space and offer other advantages to electric vehicle drivers. Priorities include:
Incentives for cities installing charging poles
Incentives for cities allowing only electric vehicle in city centres
Incentives for cities offering advantages to electric vehicle drivers such as: allowing electric vehicle on bus lanes; exempting electric vehicle from tolls and congestion charges; and offering free and unlimited parking on public spaces.
Thirdly, electric vehicles can only become a success if consumers are willing to buy them. However, being new technology produced in small series, electric vehicles are temporarily more expensive than fuel vehicles. Consumers will only buy them if financial incentives reducing their purchase cost and other non-financial incentives are offered. In terms of financial incentives to consumers, priorities include:
30% to 60% subsidies on electric vehicles purchase
Tax reduction for households owning at least one electric vehicle
Reduced VAT rates on electric vehicles purchase
Financial incentives to exchange a fossil fuels vehicle for a electric vehicles
Increased tax for families owning more than one fossil fuel car
Exempting electric vehicles from registration fees and annual tax.
In terms of non-financial incentives to consumers, priorities include:
Allowing electric vehicles on bus lanes
Exempting electric vehicles from tolls and congestion charges
Parking places with a charging pole for electric vehicles exclusive use
Free and unlimited parking for electric vehicles on public spaces.
Finally, electric vehicles will only spread if decision-makers and the public are aware of the benefits of electric vehicles. Incentives are therefore needed to communicate more and increase awareness.
Many of such incentives are already granted by some European states and/or cities – they now need to be generalised at the European Union level. Several of them could be removed after a couple of years when electric vehicles become mass produced and, therefore, financially competitive against fuel vehicles.
With this contribution, Going-Electric will actively participate in shaping the future legislative framework for Transport in Europe towards sustainable mobility: a future with electric vehicles will be significantly better for the environment while providing new jobs, sustainable growth, oil independency, and better living conditions.
About Going-Electric
Going-Electric, the European Association for Battery Electric Vehicles, is a Brussels-based non-profit association of businesses, associations, NGOs and individuals, promoting Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) in Europe as the most sustainable motorised road vehicles.
Our mission is to be the voice of all BEV stakeholders towards a European legislative framework enabling a European leadership in BEV production and commercialisation. Our objective is to ensure European policies and directives leading to the research subsidies and incentives to producers, consumers and cities that will enable Europe to become a leader in BEVs, both in terms of production of BEVs and their parts and in terms of BEV commercialisation.
