Zero-emission mobility: cross-industry coalition calls for robust policy framework

The automotive, energy generation, electricity and charging infrastructure industries have come together to urge the European Parliament and Council to adopt strong, interconnected policies to accelerate the transition to zero-emission and CO2-neutral mobility.

The sectors – which are all key players in the decarbonisation of road transport – launched their first-ever common appeal to policy makers at a cross-industry roundtable in Brussels today.

First and foremost, increased investment in charging and refuelling infrastructure for alternatively-powered cars, vans, trucks and buses is urgently needed, according to the industry coalition. The EU will therefore need to adopt higher targets for both public and private infrastructure than those foreseen in the European Commission’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) proposals.

To make charging and hydrogen refuelling stations commercially viable during the ramp-up phase of electric vehicles, public support, financial incentives, co-funding and mandatory targets are needed. This is crucial to ensure that a minimum infrastructure network becomes rapidly available across the EU, say the co-signatories. Public intervention is needed now for a limited period, especially in areas where the roll-out is slower.

The ramp-up of infrastructure should go hand-in-hand with the transition to zero-emission energy. Indeed, moving towards climate-neutral transport and mobility only makes sense if the transition to zero-emission energy happens in parallel. Incentives should therefore be given to encourage the use of zero-emission energy in the transport sector, the signatories argue. Accelerating permitting procedures to deploy the needed renewables generation capacity is key.

The end-user should also not be forgotten, with policies ensuring a customer-centric charging eco-system that is affordable and allows for EU-wide roaming, without prejudice to the contractual freedom of this market’s operators.

The industries were represented by their associations: the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), Eurelectric (the wider electricity industry), WindEurope (the energy generation sector) and ChargeUp Europe (the electric vehicle charging infrastructure industry).

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Notes for editors

• The full statement, ‘Towards zero-emission transport: Joint industry call for the right policy framework to kick-start the transition’ is now available on our website.
  

About ACEA

• The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) represents the 16 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Renault Group, Stellantis, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars, and Volvo Group.
• Visit acea.auto for more information about ACEA, and follow us on www.twitter.com/ACEA_auto or www.linkedin.com/company/ACEA/.
• Contact: Cara McLaughlin, Communications Director, cm@acea.auto, +32 485 88 66 47.

About CLEPA

• CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers based in Brussels, represents over 3,000 companies, from multi-nationals to SMEs, supplying state-of-the-art components and innovative technology for safe, smart and sustainable mobility, investing over €30 billion yearly in research and development. Automotive suppliers in Europe directly employ 1.7 million people in the EU.
• For more information, visit https://clepa.eu. Follow @CLEPA_eu on Twitter and LinkedIn.
• Contact: Filipa Rio, Head of Strategic Communications, rio@clepa.be, +32 478 97 00 07.

About ChargeUp Europe

• ChargeUp Europe is the industry association for the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure sector. Our association works to accelerate the switch to zero-emission mobility and ensure that EV drivers can enjoy a seamless charging experience with access to high quality, readily available charging infrastructure across Europe. As of today, our 20 member companies are active in all 27 EU member states, the UK and EFTA, with over 300,000 charging points in the EU.
• For more information visit chargeupeurope.eu, Twitter or LinkedIn.

About Eurelectric

• Eurelectric is the federation for the European electricity industry. We represent the power sector in over 32 European countries, speaking for more than 3,500 companies in power generation, distribution and supply. We contribute to the competitiveness of our industry, provide effective representation in public affairs and promote the role of electricity in addressing the challenges of sustainable development.
• For more information about Eurelectric, visit our website and follow our Twitter and LinkedIn
• Contact: Ioana Petcu, Advisor Press and Media Relations, ipetcu@eurelectric.org; +32 470 45 35 89.

About WindEurope

• WindEurope is the voice of the wind industry, actively promoting wind energy across Europe. Working with over 450 members from across the whole value chain of wind energy, WindEurope actively coordinates international policy, communications, market intelligence and networking events between policy and industry stakeholders.
• Visit windeurope.org for more information on WindEurope. You can follow us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/windeurope) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/WindEurope).
• Contact: Christoph Zipf, Press and Communications Manager, Zipf@windeurope.org, +32 492 25 48 38.