C 105/30
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
4.3.2022
— Reduction of life-cycle emissions (manufacturing and recycling).
— Reduction of the emission intensity of the transport sector (intelligent transport solutions, shared mobility).
For each transport need, a sustainable mobility solution must be available (long distance freight transport via biofuels and synthetic fuels/hydrogen, battery electric powertrains for urban last-mile delivery) in respect of the principle of technological neutrality.
— Encouraging retrofitting whereby the ICE is replaced with an electric engine or supplemented (hybridized) with in-wheel hub motors.
— Reducing the weight of newly marketed cars (6).
3.2.
The Commission intends to set up an adjacent ETS system for road transport and buildings.
Putting a price on road transport emissions will equate to taxing fuel (but with a qualified majority).
The revenues will be used to compensate those that are reliant on an internal combustion engine vehicle, either for work or due to a lack of alternative transport options.
As the design of such a compensation mechanism will be extremely complex and the higher fuel prices will hurt lower income groups disproportionately, the EESC is not convinced that this is the way forward as it will undermine public support for climate action.
Instead, efforts to reduce the lifecycle cost of alternative powertrains, and to reduce the cost of low and net-zero carbon fuels would seem to be a better way to bring low carbon transport within the financial reach of the many.
3.3.
Priority should be given to so-called ‘charging deserts’.
Today, 213 000 charging stations are available and 70 % of all EU charging stations are concentrated in three countries (the Netherlands, Germany and France).
With a target of 1 million public chargers by 2025 and 3 million by 2030, the gap to be bridged in terms of infrastructure development is enormous (the European Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy estimates that the additional investments needed in charging and refuelling infrastructure for low-carbon fuels are equivalent to EUR 130 billion per year, for the next decade).
Therefore, the EESC supports the introduction of mandatory targets.
As part of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the flagship project ‘Recharge and Refuel’ only encourages the Member States to accelerate the deployment of recharging and refuelling stations as part of their recovery plans.
Special attention should be given to dwellings, the preparation of grids for increased EV integration, the interoperability of charging infrastructure, the development of smart charging services (e.g. through load balancing) and the supply of renewable and low-carbon fuels.
As fully electric heavy duty vehicles (HDV) are becoming a reality, they also deserve a dedicated focus.
3.4.
As long as price parity between conventional and electric vehicles (foreseen for 2025-27) is not achieved, financial incentives will be needed to support the market uptake of low-carbon vehicles.
These can be financial (subsidies, tax breaks and scrapping systems) or non-financial (priority lanes, toll exemptions, reserved parking spaces), including a coherent regulatory environment for the promotion of investments in low-carbon fuels.
Special attention should be paid to greening car fleets as this could be an important lever to accelerate the transition, and also because this will contribute to creating a second-hand market for zero- and low-carbon vehicles.
3.5.
Support for the development of the circular economy in the automotive ecosystem: the recycling, re-use and re-manufacturing of cars and parts.
Circular economy principles should also be applied to increase the amount of secondary raw materials available to the industry and reduce the dependence on imports.
However, recent studies suggest that recycled materials will only be on an adequate market scale in a decade, when the lifespan of EVs is reached.
It is therefore necessary to be realistic and understand that primary extraction is crucial at least in the 2020s.
Therefore, the diversification of supply chains, as well as a green and ethical mining strategy, must guarantee the security of supply.
Furthermore, the upcoming revision of the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC (7) needs to take account of the electrification of vehicles and the need to develop markets for secondary materials.
(6) (7)
Cars under 1 000 kg/over 1 500 kg were respectively 36 %/7 % of those sold in France in 1998 and 15 %/16 % in 2019 (Eurostat).
Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000 on end-of life vehicles (OJ L 269, 21.10.2000, p. 34).