Making headway at last

Electromobility was the outlier for a long time, until just a few years ago. In 2016, electric vehicles still accounted for less than 1% of new registrations. 2020 saw the figure soaring to 13%, and the number of models available almost quadrupled between 2015 and 2020. When it comes to two-wheelers, electric drives have also followed a clear upward trajectory. E-vehicles are making headway at last. They are, after all, a key element in the urgently needed transformation of the transport sector and automotive industry.

If e-mobility is to stay on track, stability for forward planning is required and the right frameworks must be in place. The pace and direction of travel are becoming increasingly clear: under plans put forward by the EU, only carbon-neutral vehicles will be permitted on Europe’s roads from 2035, while Germany’s coalition agreement sets targets of 15 million fully electric cars and a million public charging stations by the end of 2030. What is lacking in the coalition’s proposals, however, are effective mechanisms for achieving these ambitious targets. Many different measures are required: in addition to infrastructural development and expansion, they must include a further tightening of emission limits, as well as financial incentives and appropriate support schemes. There is another aspect which should not be overlooked here: our mobility must radically change. With all due respect to e-mobility, it goes without saying that a kilometre travelled on foot, by bicycle or by electric bus rather than by car is still the greener option.

Speaking of green: one frequent point of criticism is the resource consumption associated with e-mobility, and we will be looking at this topic in detail in the following pages. Anyone who complains about electric cars’ resource requirements should take a moment to compare them with the alternative, namely fossil-fuelled vehicles, and look at the quantity of resources consumed and the conditions and implications of their extraction in each case. Overall, the balance is clearly in favour of electric drives. But of course, we need to address the issues of battery recycling and sustainable resource extraction here as well.

Electromobility is also moving ahead at the Oeko-Institut. Since 2020, we have been offering our staff a “work bicycle” as part of their benefits package. Various options are available, including electric bicycles, which are especially popular with staff who have long commutes. For them and for us, electromobility is a convincing technology. We expect more bicycle manufacturers who are investing in e-mobility to make further technological advances in the years to come. What are your expectations here?

Yours,

Jan Peter Schemmel
CEO, Oeko-Institut