Decarbonizing the combustion vehicle fleet in Germany and Europe as a global challenge

The electrification of the vehicle fleet is a central climate change mitigation measure in the transport sector, which not only affects markets where many new vehicles are registered, but also regions where  new vehicles are only introduced into the fleet with a long delay due to the high proportion of second-hand cars in the vehicle stock. This project addresses the question of the electrification of the vehicle fleet and its effect on different world regions.

On the one hand, this study examines the significance of the speed of electrification and its impact on the remaining stock of vehicles with combustion engines for achieving climate protection targets in Germany and Europe. To do this, the development of the German and European vehicle fleet is analyzed, which draws on  dynamic modelling of the vehicles' stock membership and reflects imports and exports between EU member states. Various instruments and measures that can accelerate the electrification of the vehicle fleet are integrated into the models used for this purpose.

On the other hand, the perspective of countries that import a relevant amount of vehicles from the EU is included to determine the effects of European electrification on the global transformation of transport and for the climate protection challenge on a global scale. In this project, this is to be done by conducting exemplary country case studies in the global south. A project advisory board will be set up to ensure that external perspectives and expertise are incorporated into the project work, particularly for this step.