SP(2010)4415

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on electric vehicles. The resolution was tabled by the S&D, EPP, ALDE, Greens/ALE, ECR and GUE/NGL groups. It notes the priority given to the development of electric vehicles by the Spanish Presidency in the context of the fight against climate change, and supports the decision of the Competitiveness Council to invite the Commission to set up an action plan for clean and energy-efficient vehicles, including the improvement of smart grids.

Members call on the Commission and Member States to establish the necessary conditions for the existence of a single electric vehicle market, while guaranteeing efficient coordination of policies at EU level, in order to avoid the negative social and employment impacts of the shift to a decarbonised system of transport and in order also to avoid the existence of incompatible schemes and standards that are not interoperable. They call on the Commission and the Council to take joint action on:

international – wherever possible – or at least European standardisation of infrastructures and charging technologies, including smart grids, open communication standards and on-board metering technology and interoperability; these imply the use of new technologies in the development of the necessary interoperable infrastructure in Europe for cross-border electric mobility; support for research and innovation, with a priority focus on the improvement of battery and engine technology; improvement of electric networks by introducing smart grids, and the introduction of sustainable generation capacity with low carbon intensity, particularly through renewable energy sources; support for initiatives that ensure the existence of a single market and develop regulations for type approval in the area of energy-efficient clean cars and, above all, in the field of road safety; coordination of national support measures and incentives for the electric vehicle; promotion of measures to ensure the competitiveness of the energy-efficient, clean vehicle industry; strong provisions on anticipatory measures as regards social and employment issues.

Members stress that electric vehicles represent a technology break-through requiring integrated innovation and technology development strategies via adequate funding and promotion of R&D and innovation in an ever increasing range of key areas, such as batteries, infrastructure (including integration with power grids). They welcome the eco-innovation measures available to manufacturers, but are concerned by the difficulties experienced in their implementation.

The resolution supports the Commission's intention of setting a European standard by 2011 for recharging electric vehicles, which will guarantee interoperability and the safety of infrastructures, and defends the setting of technical standards for charging systems, including different vehicle categories. It calls on the Commission to strive for global standards wherever possible and to ensure that the charging standard encourages modern technologies, such as smart charging and opened communication standards, and is consistent with mandates on smart metering architectures. Parliament is convinced that standardisation will enable a simple and straightforward approval process and contribute to accelerating the market introduction and dissemination of low-carbon vehicles in the EU, enhancing the competitiveness of the EU mobility industry through the reduction of development costs for manufacturers and the decarbonisation of road transport. However, standardisation of electric vehicles, infrastructures and charge methods should not hinder further innovation, particularly in the fields of electric mobility or conventional vehicle engines.

Members welcome the Commission's proposal to present by 2010 coordinated guidelines on purchasing incentives for electric vehicles. They call on the Commission and the Council to provide for an adequate incentive package for the implementation of an extensive charging network , with harmonised electric mobility models.

They go on to call for the following:

a comprehensive calculation of overall CO2 emissions of electric vehicles, taking into account the predicted changes in the production of electricity and storage capacities up to 2050; EU institutions and Member States gradually to replace their public services fleet of combustion vehicles with electric vehicles , thus stimulating demand through public procurement; calls on the EU institutions to roll out the infrastructure as soon as standards are in place; harmonised requirements for the approval of electric vehicles, with specific requirements with regard to health and safety, for both workers and end-users, and for those requirements to be included in the EU vehicle type-approval framework by mandating UNECE Regulation 100; the Commission to enable a European sectoral structure to manage the social transition involved in a low-carbon mobility policy and to coordinate anticipation measures to ensure sustainable recovery in the car industry and reduce any social impact. Members demand that effective steps be taken to anticipate change in the automotive sector and supply chain, notably through the re-launching of the CARS 21 platform with a specific social issues working group; full use of the globalisation fund and other structural funds such as the European Social Fund, to provide incentives for re-skilling and well-targeted training efforts, and the further reorientation of sectoral training and education structures to meet the emerging skills needs resulting from this technology; development of the necessary long-term fiscal policy for the promotion of energy-efficient clean vehicles.

Lastly, Parliament draws attention to the availability of raw materials needed for battery and component production, which raises the questions of increased production costs and EU dependency. It calls on the industry to endeavour to make better use of the available resources, and calls on the Commission to finance applied research under the current and future Framework Programmes on the raw materials used for electric batteries, to encourage better networking among EU geological surveys and to promote skills and technologies in this sector which will boost exploration for new raw material deposits.

T7-0150/2010

B7-0261/2010

Debate in Parliament

B7-0015/2010

B7-0016/2010

The Presidency and the Commission provided information on the state of play and the steps to be taken with a view to adopting a harmonised type-approval system for both purely electric (propelled exclusively by the power stored in their batteries) and hybrid vehicles (combination of electric propulsion with internal combustion engines), taking into account environmental performance.

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