One in ten cars sold in Europe by the end of last year was either electric or plug-in hybrid, with sales of electric vehicles (EVs) passing the one million mark by December.
A joint report by the European Federation for the Electric Industry, Eurelectric, and global professional services firm EY, said that while road transportation accounts for almost a quarter of Europe’s total greenhouse gas emissions, cutting those by 10% year on year means the continent ‘stands a very good chance of meeting its 2030 emissions target’.
It would also pave the way to a 90% reduction in transport-related emissions by 2050, the report said.
In order to achieve the ambitious targets, automakers must scale up EV production, reduce upfront costs, and improve vehicle availability, choice and range, it added. Of the 308m motor vehicles on Europe’s roads today, three million, including cars, buses, and trucks are electric, and the continent can expect at least 1,200% growth to 40 million EVs in Europe by 2030, the report claimed.
But the report said that charging points remain a major barrier to growth.
“EVs are going nowhere without an interoperable charging network. By 2030, 3m public charge points will be needed for 40m EVs, at an estimated cost of €20bn. At just 213,000 today, we are way off target,” said the report which was featured in the Irish Examiner.
Fleets are the “quick win that will make the biggest and fastest contribution to the decarbonisation of road transport”, the report said.
At 63 million vehicles, fleet accounts for 20% of the European total, travels more than 40% of total kilometres, and contributes half of total emissions from road transport, according to the authors.
