Wednesday, March 27

Spain needs to reach the figure of five million electric vehicles by 2030


We have one of the oldest parks in Europe, with only 180,000 electric vehicles in circulation

Total CO2 emissions have fallen in Spain for the first time compared to 1990 by 6.4% and 38.6% compared to 2005, taking into account that transport in general accounts for 40% of total energy consumption and 27.7% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The European Union has shown its commitment to the development of sustainable mobility and the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDG) through the European Green Deal, by which in 2035 all new vehicles and vans must be carbon neutral . Likewise, the need to provide an electric recharging point every 60 kilometers and a hydrogen recharging pump every 150 kilometers is established, since a fleet of 30 million cars and 80,000 zero-emission trucks is expected in Europe in the year 2030.

In this sense, Spain has a long work ahead since, according to the data collected in the report “III Observatory of Sustainable Mobility” prepared by
Grant Thornton In collaboration with Fundación Ibercaja and Mobility City, we have one of the oldest car parks in Europe, with an average of 13.5 years, which increases the level of emissions and particles in the atmosphere. In presenting the report, representatives of the automotive and mobility sector in Spain highlighted the historical moment that the industry is facing and the need to take advantage of the opportunity offered by European funds and the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation of the Electric and Connected Vehicle (Perte VEC).

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According to the Observatory, there are currently 180,000 electric vehicles circulating in our country, while the goal is for five million cars to do so by 2030, 16% of the total vehicle fleet that year. One of its conclusions is that the main bet should be on pure electric vehicles, which “are four times more energy efficient than gasoline and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65%”, followed by plug-in hybrids.

During the first half of 2021, sales of electric passenger cars increased by 140% compared to the same period in 2019, which represents 7% of total sales worldwide. On the other hand, the global emissions-free bus fleet increased by 22% since 2019. Geographically, the largest concentration of zero-emission vehicles is in China, with 4.3 million vehicles and 80% of the world’s lithium battery manufacturing capacity; followed by Europe, with 2.2 million vehicles, and the United States, with 1.3 million cars free of polluting gases.

In Spain, this type of vehicle currently accounts for 3% of total passenger car registrations. Although our country is still far from the European average, the application of incentives such as the Moves III Plan, which subsidizes up to €7,000 for the purchase of an electric vehicle, has allowed the growth of this market to continue. Our country has set itself the goal of having 5 million plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles by the year 2030.

According to the report, Spain has to face several challenges and barriers to achieve the programmed objectives, which are given in the first place by the autonomy of the batteries, close to 200-350 kilometers, which conditions the duration of the journeys. On the other hand, the infrastructure network does not have an official registry and is far from the objective of 100,000 recharging points that the Government set for 2023. In addition, the price of electricity is a conditioning factor for the growth of the sector. On the other hand, there are still administrative barriers that delay the granting of permits and licenses. According to Fernando León, specialist in Mobility at Kia Iberia, “at the administrative level, an effort is still required in terms of preferential processing for electric vehicles.”

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The deputy director general of mobility management and technology of the
General direction of trafficJorge Ordás recognizes that “the slow development of the electric vehicle has to do with the lack of information on recharging points”, and in this sense highlights the importance of having an effective information network for users.

According to the president of the National Association of Vehicle Sellers (Ganvam), Raúl Palacios, «currently more cars are sold that are over 15 years old —a total of 167,120 units up to March— than new ones —164,399 units—, which makes it a disservice to a park whose average age continues to grow, already exceeding 13 years». Palacios believes that sustainable mobility is incompatible with a fleet of that age. In recent years, with registrations below 900,000 units, casualties have been around 700,000, so “we need to scrap at least 190,000 more vehicles to reverse the age curve of the circulating fleet. And this can be achieved, at least partially, with the introduction of used up to 5 years in the scrapping incentive plans.

Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility Communication Manager, David Barrientos, states that 99% of electric car users are very satisfied. “Our current objective is that non-users of electric vehicles decide to take the step, but for that we also need the help of the Administration, also in terms of taxation”, he pointed out.

José López-Tafall, general director of the Spanish Association of Manufacturers (Anfac), explains that the automotive sector faces the double challenge of decarbonization and digitization that is driven by the dynamics of society and from the regulatory field. “We have a lot to conquer in the automotive industry, but through a transitory process that maintains production and employment. We must stimulate the demand for the electrified vehicle with aid for its acquisition and with the development of a wide network of charging infrastructures.”

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