It is vital to ensure that electrified vehicles have access to a sufficiently developed network of charging and re-fuelling infrastructure. This requires a pan-European effort with binding and measurable targets, writes Oliver Zipse.
Europe s Car Lobby Calling On The EU To Set Charging Infrastructure Targets
Feb 19, 2021 at 9:51am ET ++
A group of carmakers, environmentalists and consumer organizations are calling on the European Union
to set ambitious targets per country for the deployment of public charging points for EVs.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), Transport & Environment (T&E) and the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), in a common letter asked the EU climate, transport, industry and energy commissioners to use laws to require a certain number of public charging point in each country.
The resultant total requirement is estimated at 1 million public charging points in the EU by 2024 and 3 million by 2029. That would be quite a significant expansion compared to over 224,000 in 2020.
The EU passenger car market registered an accelerated decline in January, with new car registrations falling by 24% year-on-year to 726,491 units, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
Due to a combination of factors, such as Covid-19 restrictions dampening sales across the EU and fewer business days, January suffered the lowest total of new car registrations on record.
Of the four major European markets, Spain suffered the most severe decline at 51.5%. The German market was hit with a 31.1% loss followed by Italy and France with a 14% and 5.8% decrease, respectively. Conversely, Sweden boasted a 22.5% increase.
Discrepancies between the individual European markets are particularly stark when assessing regional progress towards electrification. While Norway and the Netherlands have adequate electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, other markets have fallen behind.
17 February 2021, 9:33 am EST By
BEUC files an E.U. complaint against TikTok, claiming that the app fails to protect its young users and breaches consumers rights. The consumer-rights group, which acts as the European Consumer Organization, said to file a complaint against the app on Tuesday, Feb. 16.
(Photo : Photo Illustration by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 07: In this photo illustration, the TikTok app is displayed on an Apple iPhone on August 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. On Thursday evening, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that bans any transactions between the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, and U.S. citizens due to national security reasons. The president signed a separate executive order banning transactions with China-based tech company Tencent, which owns the app WeChat. Both orders are set to take effect in 45 days.