Decarbonization of mobility: 2035 goal

One of the fights which are being battled inside the European Union (EU) to win the war against climate change is the decarbonization of mobility. One of the tools required to achieve such decarbonization is the CO2-emissions reduction in transportation. In this sense, at the beginning of June, the European Parliament approved the ban on selling new fuel-powered vehicles in 2035.

This step towards decarbonization of mobility means that from 2035 on, no polluting-gas fueled car or van’s trading will be allowed inside the European Union. It includes, not only diesel and gasoline vehicles but those GLP/GNC-powered ones, hybrid vehicles -including connected ones- regardless their level of autonomy.

It is then, that the slight presence of combustion parts in the whole car machine will not be allowed. The norm forces vehicles to be sold to meet a 100%-CO2 emission reduction in order to reach a decarbonization of mobility.

However, the approved norm isn’t “official” yet. The next step is negotiating its terms with each country member. How long will it take all to be settled? It is expected for this Autumn.

To help industry in this transition to meet with the conditions to enforce this ban to achieve decarbonization of mobility, in the same sessions the European Parliament also approved that both small commercial vehicles and cars should reduce CO2 emissions up to a 55% in 2030.

So, the future of mobility gets every time closer to electrification. It doesn’t mean that the electric vehicle will be the only option. Hydrogen-powered cars will also meet with the new regulations for decarbonization of mobility

How does the automotive industry see it?

Both car manufacturers and the automotive supplier industry understood the approval of these new measures as not surprising.

ACEA, the association which gathers car manufacturers welcomed the objectives proposed in the new law - they state about the decision on El Confidencial- but demand from national authorities of member states and those in the communitarian scope to “take into urgent consideration the uncertainty the industry is currently facing and help the industry to tackle the forthcoming necessary industrial transformation with a special concern regarding the required electric charging network”. On this article, Oliver Zipse -ACEA president- also points out that “due to the volatility and uncertainty which we currently experiment day by day, any long-term regulation intended to go further this decade is premature to be started out. It is instead required a middle-of-the-road assessment to define more transparent post-2030 objectives”

Sigrid de Vries, secretary of European Association of Automotive suppliers CLEPA- states that although the overall transition to an environment-neutral mobility is at an advanced point in our industry, the approved objectives bring potential risks for the sector regarding jobs or the relocation of factories

According to De Vries automotive suppliers in Europe are supporters of speeding up the electrification process but without putting aside all proved alternatives for the decarbonization of mobility. In this way, the European association considers that centering the focus only on internal combustion engines “let down years of innovation in Europe for a technology which can be environmentally neutral and therefore necessary for a manageable and efficient transition”

“We are excluding a hybrid technology and sustainable, renewable fuels which are neutral for the environment and can take advantage of the already existing infrastructure besides their capacity to tackle the current emission issues“ he goes on “it risks the efficiency of the transition by posing unnecessary ambitious challenges”