EVs might become the new norm sooner than you think!
According to a draft document seen by Reuters, the European Union aims to have nearly 30 million electric or zero-emission vehicles on the streets by 2030. Moreover, the European Commission would lay out some measures to reduce a quarter of the EU’s carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions of the transport sector. And their strategy to achieve such a high feat is expected to be unveiled this week.
The document read, “The EU’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050 cannot be reached without introducing very ambitious measures to reduce transport’s reliance on fossil fuels.”
That being said, it might still be an extremely difficult target to meet. According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, there were 1.8 million electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle registrations last year. However, it is worth noting that plug-in hybrids are not zero-emission vehicles.
On the other hand, the sale of zero-emission vehicles has been on a constant rise in European countries this year, despite the Coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, countries like Slovenia and France have already announced end dates for selling new combustion vehicles.
However, the lack of infrastructure is one of the biggest hurdles the EU faces right now. Thus, the sale of zero-emission cars might not increase with the same tempo. To achieve the target, Europe would need at least 3 million public charging points by 2030. That’s way more than the 200,000 existing at the moment. Additionally, Europe would also require over 1,000 hydrogen refueling stations by 2030.
The document also said that Europe’s high-speed rail network should double by 2030 and triple by 2050 to meet the ever-growing demands. Besides, zero-emission ships and airplanes should be ready to enter the market by 2035.
Do you think having 30 million zero-emission vehicles by the end of 2030 is a feasible target? Let us know in the comments section below.
