Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee - A European strategy on clean and energy efficient vehicles
Date: 2010-04-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: clean technology, consumer information, electric vehicle, energy saving, environmental protection, motor vehicle industry, non-polluting vehicle, research and development

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 28.4.2010 
COM(2010)186 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE 

A European strategy on clean and energy efficient vehicles 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE 

A European strategy on clean and energy efficient vehicles 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

1. 

AIMS OF THE STRATEGY  

The European automotive industry is a world leader in developing clean and energy efficient 
technologies based on combustion engines, consequence of substantial investment in the last 
15  years  in  research  and  development.  It  is  also  a  crucial  European  industry,  competitive, 
innovative and supporting a wide range of related sectors.  

This Communication sets out a strategy for encouraging the development and uptake of clean 
and  energy  efficient  ("green")  heavy-  (buses  and  trucks)1  and  light-duty  vehicles  (cars  and 
vans)2  as  well  as  two-  and  three-wheelers  and  quadricycles3.  Currently,  transport  is 
responsible  for  about  a  quarter  of  EU  CO2  emissions  and  also  contributes  significantly  to 
reduced  air  quality  (particulate  matter,  NOx,  HC  and  CO)  and  related  health  problems,  in 
particular in urban areas. 

The internal combustion engine is likely to remain dominant in road vehicles in the short and 
medium  term  perspective.  However,  alternative  fuels  and  propulsion  technologies  will  be 
increasingly  important  in  the  future.  Green  vehicles  have  very  low  environmental  impacts 
throughout  their  lifecycle:  they  use  low-carbon  energy  sources,  have  very  low  air  pollutant 
and noise emissions and can be easily recycled. 

Green  vehicles,  including  those  capable  of  using  electricity,  hydrogen,  biogas  and  liquid 
biofuels in high blends, are likely to contribute significantly to the Europe 20204 priorities of 
developing an economy based on knowledge and innovation (smart growth) and promoting a 
more  resource  efficient,  greener  and  more  competitive  economy  (sustainable  growth).  The 
strategy  is  a  vital  part  of  the  Europe  2020  flagship  initiative  ‘Resource-efficient  Europe’, 
which seeks to promote new technologies to modernise and decarbonise the transport sector, 
thereby contributing to increase competitiveness. One aim of the flagship initiative is hence to 
promote "green" vehicles by encouraging research, setting common standards and developing 
the  infrastructure  needed  to  support  ‘the  shift  towards  a  resource  efficient  and  low-carbon 
economy that is efficient in the way it uses all resources’5.  

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Vehicles of categories M2, M3 and N2, N3 as defined in Directive 2007/46/EC. 
Vehicles of categories M1 and N1 as defined in Directive 2007/46/EC. 
Vehicles of category L as defined in Directive 2002/24/EC. 
COM(2010) 2020, 3.3.2010. 
COM(2010) 2020, 3.3.2010, p. 14. 

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The  global  car  fleet  is  predicted  to  grow  from  800  million  to  1.6  billion  vehicles6  by  2030. 
This  doubling  of  the  global  car  fleet  calls  for  a  step  change  in  technology  to  ensure 
sustainable  mobility  in  the  long  term  in  view  of  the  goal  of  decarbonising  transport.  The 
strategy  should  therefore  help  European  industry  lead  the  world  in  deploying  alternative 
propulsion  technologies.  The  global  trend  towards  sustainable  transport  shows  that  the 
European automotive industry can only remain competitive by leading in green technologies. 
This requires a progressive shift from today's situation. A new industrial approach based on 
clean and energy efficient vehicles will boost the competitiveness of the European industry, 
provide  new  jobs  in  the  automotive  industry  and  in  other  sectors  in  the  supply  chain  and 
support restructuring. Hence this initiative builds on the European green cars initiative which 
was launched as a part of the European Economic Recovery Plan7 in November 2008. 

Developing  advanced  common  standards  for  safety,  environmental  performance  and 
interoperability  will  also  keep  the  internal  market  fully  functioning  and  ensure  planning 
certainty for all stakeholders.  

Moreover, the EU’s global competitors on both the American and Asian continents are also 
investing in research in low-carbon technologies and launching targeted programmes to shift 
to  low-carbon  road  transport.  They  are  taking  steps  to  rapidly  develop  standards  for 
alternative  technologies.  In  order  to  permit  its  industry  to  stay  competitive  and  ensure  its 
position in green technologies, the EU must create the right framework for advanced products 
that will be needed worldwide.  

The  strategy  builds  on  the  existing  2007  strategy  to  reduce  CO2  emissions  from  passenger 
cars and light-duty commercial vehicles8, and complements ongoing and planned activities to 
decarbonise transport  and  to  reduce  their environmental  impacts. While it is limited to road 
transport, road vehicles and the mid-term perspective, it supports the goal of reducing carbon 
emissions by 80-95% by 2050. Technological developments in green automotive propulsion 
technologies can/should have spin-offs to maritime, air, heavy-duty vehicles, urban and light-
rail transport modes.  

2. 

ACTION PLAN FOR GREEN VEHICLES 

This  strategy  aims  to  provide  an  appropriate  and  technology  neutral  policy  framework  for 
clean  and  energy  efficient  vehicles.  Two  tracks  need  to  be  followed  simultaneously: 
promoting  clean  and  energy  efficient  vehicles  based  on  conventional  internal  combustion 
engines  and  facilitating  the  deployment  of  breakthrough  technologies  in  ultra-low-carbon 
vehicles. The following powertrains are considered: 

•  Alternative fuels to burn in combustion engines to substitute petrol or diesel fuel 
include liquid biofuels and gaseous fuels (including LPG, CNG and biogas). They 
offer  a  potential  to  reduce  the  environmental  impact  of  road  transport  through 
reduced CO2 and pollutant emissions. However, the use of alternative fuels other 
than  biofuels  requires  the  modification  of  combustion  engines,  a  dedicated  on-
board fuel storage system and a sufficiently widespread refuelling network. Liquid 

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United  Nations  Economic  Commission  for  Europe  -  World  Forum  for  Harmonization  of  Vehicle 
Regulations (UNECE-WP.29): Informal document GRPE-58-02. 
COM(2008) 800, 26.11.2008. 
COM(2007) 19, 7.2.2007. 

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biofuels,  such  as  ethanol  and  biodiesel  can  be  blended  with  conventional  liquid 
fuels and burned in existing combustion engines up to a certain ratio. However, a 
higher blend needs the modification of the fuelling system and the engine of the 
vehicle. Gaseous fuels can be burned in modified combustion engines and stored 
on-board  in  special  fuel  tanks.  Flex-fuel  vehicles  can  use  a  number  of  different 
fuels available. To achieve the expected reduction of environmental impacts when 
compared  to  conventional  petrol  or  diesel  fuels,  alternative  fuels  need  to  be 
produced  in  a  sustainable  manner.  Work  to  further  improve  the  quality  of 
conventional petrol and diesel fuels should continue. 

•  Electric vehicles use an electric motor to move the vehicle and are recharged with 
electricity. The energy is stored in batteries or in other alternative storage systems 
on  board  the  vehicle.  Electric  vehicles  might  remain  a  niche  market  in  the  near 
future, but sales are then expected to expand as battery technologies improve. For 
battery electric vehicles, studies forecast a market share in new car sales of 1 to 
2 % in 2020 rising to 11 to 30 % in 2030. For plug-in hybrid vehicles a share of 
2 % is forecast in 2020, and 5 to 20 % by 20309. Affordability is a crucial factor in 
introducing  electric  vehicles  to  the  mainstream  consumer  market.  Consumer 
prices  will  have  to  fall  significantly  through  technological  improvements  and 
economies  of  scale  to  expand  market  share.  Electric  vehicle  technology  has 
significant  potential  to  radically  address  a  number  of  challenges  facing  the 
European Union, such as global warming, dependency from fossil fuels, local air 
pollution and storage of renewable energy in vehicle batteries through smart grids. 
Pure  electric  vehicles  appear  to  be  most  promising  for  urban  use,  given  the 
relatively  limited  range  provided  by  batteries  and  the  potentially  better  cost-
benefit ratio of deploying recharging infrastructure first in cities. Lower pollutant 
and  noise  emissions  also  have  the  biggest  social,  including  health  benefits  in 
urban areas.  

•  Hydrogen  fuel  cell  vehicles  can  also  deliver  similar  environmental  benefits  to 
battery  electric  vehicles.  They  also  have  electric  motors  but  generate  the 
electricity  on  board  the  vehicle  from  hydrogen  fuel  using  fuel  cells,  producing 
only water vapour. The development and deployment of battery and hydrogen fuel 
cell  vehicles  is  therefore  mutually  complementary  as  they  share  many  similar 
electrical drivetrain components.  

The  strategy  builds  on  existing  ongoing  measures  and  sets  out  medium-  to  long-term 
actions.  The  actions  will  ensure  that  —  while  realising  the  benefits  of  new  propulsion 
technologies  in  terms  of  environmental  and  energy  policy  goals  —  a  situation,  where 
advances  in  new  technologies  would  be  offset  by  reduced  improvements  in  conventional 
vehicles  or  by  growing  demand  for  less  efficient  vehicles  is  avoided.  It  will  exploit  the 
synergies  between  improving  internal  combustion  engines  and  introducing  ultra-low-carbon 
technologies.  It  facilitates  the  emergence  and  proliferation  of  breakthrough  technologies 
which,  combined  with  proposals  to  be  brought  forward  in  the  upcoming  White  Paper  on 
European  Transport  Policy  can  be  expected  to  contribute  substantially  to  more  sustainable 
mobility.  

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IHS - Global Insight: Battery Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles study. 

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At present, there is a lack of a European framework for electric mobility. Therefore, to ensure 
technological  neutrality  in  practice,  section  2.7.  focuses  on  actions  needed  to  ensure  an 
equivalent regulatory framework for enabling this technology.  

An assessment of the environmental, economic and social impacts will have to be taken into 
account  in  specific  policy  initiatives  mentioned  in  the  strategy.  Actions  at  EU  level  will 
complement those taken at national and regional level and focus on areas where there is clear 
European added value, in line with the principle of subsidiarity. 

2.1. 

Regulatory framework 

The EU has set out an ambitious strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from road vehicles10 and 
much has been achieved already. Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 setting emission performance 
standards for new passenger cars requires a fleet average emission of 130 g CO2/km for new 
passenger  cars  to  be  fully  achieved  by  2015.  Industry  will  need  to  invest  even  more  in 
emission  reduction  technologies,  including  smart  traffic  management  technologies,  and 
further improve engine efficiency. 

Moreover a Commission proposal11 to reduce CO2 emissions from light commercial vehicles 
(vans) is currently being discussed by the Council and Parliament. It proposes a fleet average 
emission for all new vans of 175 g/km as of 2016. 

The  EU  has  also  reduced  emissions  of  pollutants  such  as  particulate  matter  and  NOx  by 
setting ever stricter standards. Euro 6 limits12 for cars and vans and EURO VI for heavy-duty 
vehicles will apply as of 2014. 

Even  though  petrol  and  diesel  combustion  engines  will  become  less  dominant  in  the  2020 
perspective,  every  means  available  must  be  used  to  reduce  their  negative  environmental 
impact.  

The Commission will: 

•  propose  a  Regulation  on  type-approval  requirements  for  two-  and  three-wheelers  and 
quadricycles (L-category vehicles) in 2010 that will set emission standards and will adapt 
or develop measures to take account of new technologies; 

•  prepare the measures implementing Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 by 2011: detailed rules 
on the monitoring and reporting of data; detailed rules on the application for a derogation 
from the specific CO2 emission targets for small volume and niche manufacturers; detailed 
rules  on  the  procedure  for  approving  innovative  technologies  (eco-innovations);  detailed 
rules on the methods for the collection of excess emissions premiums;  

•  propose  detailed  rules  on  the  marketing  of  the  'green  additionality'  of  vehicles  to  avoid 

misleading environmental claims; 

•  present a proposal by 2011 to reduce fuel consumption impacts of mobile air conditioning 

systems; 

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Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 (OJ L 140, 5.6.2009, p. 1). 
COM(2009) 593, 28.10.2009. 
Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 (OJ L 171, 29.6.2007, p. 1). 

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•  make  an  inventory  of  measures  offering  environmental  benefits  under  the  ‘integrated 
approach’  as  soon  as  possible  and  determine  further  steps,  including  through  regulatory 
means, to promote such measures; 

•  present  a  proposal  to  amend  Directive  70/157/EEC13  by  the  end  of  2011  to  reduce  noise 

emissions of vehicles; 

•  ensure  that  CO2  and  pollutant  emissions  are  reduced  under  real-world  driving  conditions 
by  proposing  at  the  latest  by  2013  a  revised  test  cycle  to  measure  emissions,  developed 
through  UNECE14,  including  a  methodology  for  taking  into  account  innovative 
technologies;  and  develop  a  robust  procedure  by  2012  to  measure  real  world  emissions, 
considering the use of portable emissions measurable systems; 

•  propose  a  strategy  targeting  fuel  consumption  and  CO2  emissions  from  heavy-duty 

vehicles; 

•  promote additional measures that may help to decrease CO2 and pollution emissions from 
road  transport  —  such  as  eco-driving,  Intelligent  Transport  Systems  (ITS),  including 
onboard technologies and the applications stemming from Galileo, infrastructure measures, 
and urban transport management; 

•  ensure  implementation  of  the  Community's  sustainability  criteria  for  biofuels  as  well  as 
promote  the  development  of  advanced  low  carbon  fuels  and  sustainable  biofuels  and 
engine technology that is capable of using these fuels. 

2.2. 

Supporting research and innovation in green technologies 

Electric  and  hydrogen  fuel  cell  vehicles  and  components  are  still  expensive,  despite  recent 
technological advances. Further research and technology development is needed to bring costs 
down  and  to  improve  the  electric  and  hydrogen  vehicles’  range  and  driveability,  including 
research on cooperative vehicle systems using vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure 
communication technologies. New materials must be investigated for use in batteries and for 
storage of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles as well as alternative charging and energy storage 
technologies.  The  European  Green  Cars  Initiative  is  funding  research  and  demonstration  on 
electrifying transport, while the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking supports research 
and technology development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and infrastructure.  

The Commission will: 

•  ensure that European research continues targeting low carbon fuels and clean and energy 
efficient transport, including the improvement of conventional engines, electric drivetrains 
including alternative battery technologies and hydrogen technologies with grants focusing 
on topics with clear added value at EU level;  

•  simplify and streamline administrative rules of obtaining EU research grants; 

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OJ L 42, 23.02.1970, p. 16. 
However,  should  progress  not  be  forthcoming  then  unilateral  legislation  within  the  EU  remains  a 
possibility. 

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•  propose a long term research strategy in 2011 in the Strategic Transport Technology Plan 

and in the Communication on Clean Transport Systems; 

•  explore  with  the  European  Investment  Bank  the  continuation  of  support  to  research  and 
innovation projects to promote clean and energy efficient automotive products to support 
the transformation of the industry.  

2.3.  Market uptake and consumer information 

A  "greening"  of  the  European  vehicle  fleet  will  only  be  successful  if  consumers  are  indeed 
choosing to buy clean and energy efficient vehicles. Due to their advanced technology, green 
vehicles are however still significantly more expensive than conventional ones. Involvement 
of consumers and demand-side incentives are therefore important to encourage market uptake. 
Such incentives must be introduced at the right time, targeted, non-discriminatory, and limited 
in time and budget. 

The majority of Member States have introduced, in a non coordinated manner, CO2 emission 
based  vehicle  taxation  schemes,  while  others  have  adopted  or  are  considering  specific 
incentive  schemes,  many  of  them  financial,  to  encourage  consumers  to  opt  for  electric 
vehicles. The schemes vary significantly and generally act in isolation since the existing fuel 
taxes  do  not  take  CO2  performance  into  account  when  vehicles  come  into  use.  There  is 
concern that the benefits will be outweighed by the significant differences in such incentives 
across Member States, which may have detrimental effects on the functioning of the internal 
market.  

Cities and urban zones are the most promising areas for the development of new vehicles with 
relatively  limited  range.  Reduction  of  pollutant  emissions  is  most  important  in  densely 
populated urban areas, and  energy efficient technologies provide the largest gain  for energy 
saving and CO2 emission reduction in urban stop-and-go traffic, as recognised by the Action 
Plan  on  Urban  Mobility15.  Local  and  regional  authorities  could  have  therefore  an  important 
role  to  play  as  contracting  authorities,  making  a  smart  use  of  public  procurement  rules  to 
accelerate market uptake. This would also provide an important stimulus to innovation. 
Directive  2009/33/EC16  on  the  promotion  of  clean  and  energy  efficient  road  transport 
vehicles,  which  aims  at  reducing  greenhouse  gas  emissions  and  improving  air  quality 
(particularly  in  cities)  requires  that  public  authorities  take  into  account  energy  and 
environmental  impacts  linked  to  the  operation  of  vehicles  over  their  lifetime.  This  gives  a 
competitive  advantage  to  green  vehicles  and  provides  strong  support  to  their  broad  market 
introduction.  

To accept green vehicles as real alternatives to conventional vehicles, consumers need to be 
well  informed  about  the  opportunities,  advantages  and  practical  aspects  of  green  mobility, 
which  is  essentially  up  to  industry.  Consumers  should  also  have  tools  to  compare  these 
technologies with conventional vehicles. 

The Commission will: 

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COM(2009) 490, 30.9.2009. 
OJ L 120, 15.5.2009, p. 5. 

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•  present  guidelines  on  financial  incentives  to  consumers  to  buy  green  vehicles  in  2010, 
encourage  coordination  of  demand-side  measures  adopted  in  Member  States,  ensure  that 
any benefit accruing to industry is in line with existing State Aid rules; 

•  work on a revision of the energy taxation directive, to better incentivise the efficient use of 

conventional fuels and the gradual uptake of alternative low-carbon emitting fuels; 

•  take action to ensure more coordination and improve the overall effectiveness of measures 
taken  by  of  Member  States  in  the  area  of  vehicle  taxation  in  order  to  promote  green 
vehicles; 

•  monitor the implementation of Directive 2009/33/EC; 

•  launch a research project to fully understand consumer expectations and buying behaviours 
and  test  different  possible  information  tools  to  compare  clean  and  energy  efficient  cars 
with conventional vehicles; 

•  present a proposal to amend Directive 1999/94/EC17 on car labelling; 

•  launch  an  EU-wide  electromobility  demonstration  project  in  2011  within  the  European 
Green  Cars  Initiative  to  assess  consumer  behaviour,  usage  patterns  and  foster  user 
awareness  of  all  types  of  electric  technology  as  well  as  to  test  new  developments  in  the 
area of standardisation for electric vehicles; future initiatives of this kind may be targeted 
specifically to those urban areas that have sustained air quality exceedance levels. 

2.4. 

Global issues 

The EU industry is operating on world markets and has many global alliances. To improve the 
global  business  environment  and  ensure  business  opportunities  for  European  industry,  we 
need greater openness and level playing field in the major automotive markets. Open world 
markets  are  an  important  source  of  productivity  gains,  growth  and  job  creation.  Providing 
access  to  global  markets  means  both  reducing  tariffs and removing unnecessarily restrictive 
technical regulations. Regulatory convergence with our main commercial partners should be 
sought wherever possible, as well as an ambitious market access. 

Large-scale production of electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will require the use of raw 
materials different from those of conventional vehicles. Some of those materials are in short 
supply  and  concentrated  in  very  few  geographical  areas,  such  as  rare  earth  elements  for 
batteries  and  noble  metals  for  fuel  cells.  Fair  and  open  access  to  these  materials  should  be 
ensured so that a potential shortage does not hamper the competitiveness of EU industry.  

The Commission will: 

•  engage  in  international  standardisation  activities,  regulatory  dialogues  with  our  main 
commercial partners, and provide technical assistance to non-EU countries with a view to 
promoting trade and preventing market-distorting rules on green vehicles;  

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OJ L 12, 18.1.2000, p. 16. 

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•  continue  to  take  regulatory  cooperation  initiatives  to  promote  harmonised  regulations  at 

global level with countries that are not contracting parties at UNECE; 

•  support access to materials in short supply through the Raw materials initiative18. 

2.5. 

Employment 

Anticipating and managing restructuring and anticipating the skills and qualifications needed 
to  design  and  produce  innovative  vehicles,  is  essential  to  give  European  vehicle 
manufacturers a suitably skilled workforce. These skills are currently rare. The social actors 
have recently issued in the framework of the Automotive Partnership a declaration calling for 
the establishment of a Pan-European Observatory.  

The Commission will: 

•  based  on  the  declaration  of  the  Automotive  Partnership,  establish  a  European  Sectoral 
Skills Council, aiming at creating a network of Member States' national observatories; 

•  target  use  of  the  European  Social  Fund  starting  in  2011  to  encourage  retraining  and 

upskilling. 

2.6.  Mid-term review of CO2 emissions legislation 

The Commission will:  

•  review  Regulation  (EC)  No  443/2009  by  2013,  looking  at  the  modalities  of  reaching  the 
2020  target  of  95  g/km  for  passenger  cars  and  the  long-term  (2030)  perspective,  whilst 
building on the experience gained from implementing the short term targets; 

•  review the modalities of reaching the long term target to reduce CO2 emissions from light 

commercial vehicles (vans) by a date to be determined by the legislator19. 

An  objective  of  the  mid-term  review  will  be  to  provide  the  automotive  industry  with  the 
planning certainty as to the long-term target. Any new CO2 standards should be based on the 
full  potential  of  different  technological  options  because  ambitious  emission  targets  will  be 
crucial in driving innovations in the long-term and will take account of their contribution to 
achieving  the  overall  level  of  greenhouse  gas  reduction  needed  in  the  transport  sector.  An 
overriding objective in this period will be to ensure that any support mechanisms for ultra-low 
emission vehicles do not weaken the incentive for emission-reduction from the existing fleet 
of conventional combustion engine vehicles.  

2.7. 

Specific actions for electric vehicles 

1. 

Placing on the market  

Type-approval for road vehicles20 has been extended to cover all propulsion systems with the 
aim  of  removing  potential  regulatory  barriers  and  to  ensure  that  alternative  propulsion 

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COM(2008) 699, 4.11.2008. 
The Commission proposal foresees the 2020 target of 135g/km (COM(2009) 593, 28.10.2009). 
Regulated by Directive 2007/46/EC (OJ L 263, 9.10.2007, p. 1). 

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vehicles are at least as safe as conventional ones. Therefore, common rules have already been 
set  out  for  hydrogen  powered  vehicles,  gas  fuelled  vehicles  and  biofuels21.  Common 
requirements  are  needed  for  electric  vehicles  too,  which  will  facilitate  legal  certainty  for 
industry and protect consumers.  

The Commission - through working together with international partners at the UNECE - will: 

•  propose electric safety requirements for vehicle type-approval in 2010; 

•  review other type-approval requirements covered by Directive 2007/46/EC by 2011; 

•  review  crash  safety  requirements  and  consider  whether  the  quietness  of  these  vehicles  is 

potentially dangerous to vulnerable road users by 2012. 

2. 

Standardisation  

Common standards should allow all electric vehicles to be charged and to communicate with 
the  electricity  grid  anywhere  in  the  EU  and  also  with  all  types  of  chargers.  Investment  in 
electric  charging  points  based  on  different  standards  should  be  avoided  as  far  as  possible. 
Compatibility  problems  that  prevent  drivers  from  charging  at  any  available  point  could 
undermine consumer confidence in electric vehicle technology. 

Slow  vehicle  charging  from  existing  electric  sockets  is  already  possible.  However,  fast 
charging  with  high  voltage,  public  charging  points  and  the  need  to  ensure  communication 
between the vehicle and the electricity grid requires a dedicated plug and socket, which needs 
to  be  standardised  at  the  EU  level  to  ensure  interoperability.  The  quick  adoption  of  a 
European  standard  would  reinforce  the  global  competitiveness  of  European  industry  by 
making it  an  early mover in the area. The standard shall take into account ongoing work at 
international standardisation bodies.  

The Commission will: 

•  within  the  framework  of  Directive  98/34/EC22,  mandate  the  European  standardisation 
bodies  in  2010  to  develop  by  2011  a  standardised  charging  interface  to  ensure 
interoperability and connectivity between the electricity supply point and the charger of the 
electric vehicle, to address safety risks and electromagnetic compatibility and to consider 
smart charging (the possibility for users to take advantage of the use of electricity during 
"off peak hours";  

•  identify a method to implement that standard, so that the interoperable interface is adopted 
by  all  industry  players,  including  vehicle  manufacturers,  electricity  providers  and 
electricity distribution network operators; 

•  constantly  monitor  global  technological  and  market  developments  to  update  European 

standards if necessary.  

3. 

Infrastructure  

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Regulation  (EC)  No  79/2009  (OJ  L  35,  4.2.2009,  p.  32);  UNECE  Regulations  67  and  110;  Directive 
2009/30/EC (OJ L 140, 5.6.2009, p. 88). 
OJ L 204, 21.7.1998, p. 37. 

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With the entry into the market of electric vehicles, consumers can start charging them from 
existing power points. However, publicly accessible charging points will have to be provided 
to  meet  consumers’  needs  on  battery  charging.  An  adequate  electric  charging  network  will 
require  significant  investment  and  definition  of  standards  on  safety,  interoperability  and 
payment. An assessment needs to be made whether synergies exist between capacity build up 
for electric and hydrogen vehicles and their connection to low-carbon electricity sources.  

The Commission will: 

•  provide a leading role in working with Member States at national and regional level on the 

build-up of charging and refuelling infrastructure in the EU; 

•  explore  with  the  European  Investment  Bank  how  to  provide  funding  to  stimulate 

investment in infrastructure and services build-up for green vehicles. 

4. 

Energy, power generation and distribution 

The  impact  of  green  vehicles  with  alternative  technologies  needs  to  be  thoroughly  assessed 
and compared with the impact of conventional vehicles using a life cycle approach. Such an 
approach  considers  the  impact  of  the  'well-to-wheel’  emissions23,  including  emissions  from 
electricity generation as well as the environmental impacts due to the production and disposal 
of the vehicle.  

Electrifying transport is expected to lead to a increase in overall electricity demand, albeit not 
sudden  given  that  the  market  introduction  of  electric  vehicles  will  be  gradual24.  However, 
especially  if  vehicles  are  charged  at  peak  times,  additional  demand  could  lead  to  a  need  to 
install  additional,  potentially  carbon-intensive  power  generation  capacity.  The  risk  can  be 
mitigated  if  rechargeable  vehicles  are  fully  integrated  into  the  electricity  grid  towards  the 
implementation of smart grids, smart metering and appropriate consumer incentives as well as 
with other business models, such as exchange of batteries. Full integration would also allow 
batteries  in  electric  vehicles  to  serve  as  secondary  storage  capacity  for  excess  renewable 
energy production. 

This  means  e.g.  adapting  the  existing  electricity  distribution  network  and  developing  smart 
grids and communication protocols between the vehicle and the grid, enabling charging to be 
automatically  timed  to  coincide  with  off-peak  or  excess  intermittent  renewable  electricity, 
taking into account pricing impacts. 

The Industrial Initiatives of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) will 
be playing an important role in these developments. In particular the Electricity Grid Initiative 
anticipates  the  development  of  the  electrification  of  transport  while  the  European  Industrial 
Bioenergy  Initiative  aims  at  further  developing  the  technologies  for  producing  advanced 
biofuels while respecting the sustainability criteria of the Renewable Energy Directive. 

23 

24 

For  'well-to-wheel'  (or  WTW)  impact  means  the  sum  on  the  impact  of  fuel  production  (well-to-tank) 
and the impact of the vehicle use (tank-to-wheel). WTW is an important element of the complete life 
cycle impact of a vehicle that also includes the environmental impact of production and disposal of the 
vehicle.  
The  European  Topic  Centre  on  Air  and  Climate  Change:  Environmental  impacts  and  impact  on  the 
electricity market of a large scale introduction of electric cars in Europe, p. 97. 

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The Commission will: 

•  determine  and  compare  the  environmental  and  carbon  footprint  of  vehicles  (internal 
combustion  engine,  electric,  gas  fuelled  vehicles  and  hydrogen)  based  on  a  life  cycle 
approach; 

•  evaluate  whether  the  promotion  of  electric  vehicles  leads  to  the  additional  provision  of 
low-carbon electricity generation via the promotion of low carbon energy sources to ensure 
that  the  electricity  consumed  by  electric  vehicles  does  not  go  to  the  detriment  of  low 
carbon  electricity  already  expected  from  meeting  the  requirements  of  the  Renewable 
Energy Directive25; 

•  evaluate the impact of the increased requirement for low-carbon electricity on the supply 

system and on the grid. 

5. 

Recycling and transportation of batteries  

Intensive  use  of  batteries  by  electric  vehicles  brings  its  own  environmental  implications. 
Similarly hydrogen fuel cells will bring new issues such as the recycling of platinum catalysts. 
A  high  rate  of  recycling  is  also  justified  given  the  scarcity  and  price  of  some  of  the  raw 
materials.  

When  they  are  no  longer  of  use  in  vehicles  because  their  energy  storage  capacity  falls, 
batteries  could  be  used  for  other  purposes,  such  as  stationary  energy  storage  in  homes. 
Provisions and schemes for this ‘secondary use’ will be considered.  

The  quantity  of  operational  batteries  that  can  be  transported  is  currently  limited  by  the 
Directive on transport of dangerous goods26. The resulting high transport costs contribute to 
the high cost of vehicle batteries.  

The Commission will: 

•  consider  what  changes  may  need  to  be  made  to  existing  legislation  in  relation  to  the 
recycling of batteries and end of life vehicles to adjust to the new market circumstances; 

•  promote European research programmes on recycling and reusing of batteries; 

•  review  options  for  changing  the  rules  on  transporting  batteries  after  carefully  evaluating 

the costs and potential risks. 

3. 

GOVERNANCE  

This Communication sets out a strategy to support the creation of a clean and energy efficient 
transport  system  in  the  EU  that  will  contribute  to  achieving  the  Europe  2020  objectives  by 
reinforcing Europe’s capacity to produce smart and sustainable products in a key sector. 

25 
26 

Renewable Energy Directive , Directive 2009/28/EC (OJ L 140, 5.6.2009, p. 16). 
Directive 2008/68/EC (OJ L 260, 30.9.2008, p. 13). 

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Action  in  the  areas  identified  by  this  strategy  requires  a  high  level  of  coordination  across 
relevant  policy  areas  (industrial,  transport,  energy,  trade,  climate  action  and  environment, 
employment, health and consumers, research) and all stakeholders to put everything in place 
to  give  the  EU  a  sustainable  transport  system  with  a  competitive  industrial  base.  The 
challenge  requires  ongoing  discussion  among  interested  parties  and  stakeholders  who  have 
not  necessarily  cooperated  before  —  the  automotive  industry  (vehicle  manufacturers  and 
suppliers),  electricity  providers,  gas  companies,  grid  managers,  electric  component 
manufacturers,  scientific  and  standardisation  bodies,  as  well  as  EU,  national  and  regional 
authorities, municipalities and consumers. 

In addition, a number of EU Member States have launched national programmes to promote 
electric mobility. The Commission recognises the merits of these programmes, which create 
an early market and consumer awareness of the technology. However, if the approaches are 
not  coordinated,  the  EU’s  internal  market  may  be  fragmented  and  it  risks  losing  its 
competitive advantage in this technology. 

The Commission will:  

•  propose to re-launch the CARS 21 High Level Group with a revised mandate and extended 
stakeholder involvement to in particular address the barriers to market uptake of alternative 
technologies; 

•  implement  the  strategy  to  reduce  CO2  emissions  from  road  vehicles  under  the  European 

Climate Change Programme (ECCP); 

•  closely coordinate the workflows from ECCP and CARS 21; 

•  ensure  the  integration  of  this  strategy  into  the  overall  EU  transport  policy  with  the 

forthcoming White Paper on European Transport Policy;  

•  ensure coordination and co-operation with Member States on the actions of this strategy in 
particular  to  secure  the  internal  market,  to  avoid  fragmentation  of  efforts,  to  create 
sufficient critical mass for the industry and to monitor and discuss national developments. 

The added value of an EU strategy is clear: it draws together multiple initiatives and actions 
and  creates  a  platform  to  coordinate  efforts  between  European,  national  and  regional  actors 
and  keep  the  internal  market  working  properly.  The  initiative  promotes  better  regulation  by 
setting out long-term policy orientations and increase certainty for business operators.  

To ensure its successful implementation, the strategy will be reviewed in 2014 to take stock of 
progress, to assess how the market and technologies have changed, and to recommend further 
action. 

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