The Platform for Electro-mobility, of which Bellona is a founding member, has launched a new paper ‘The Energy Union Strategy: a plug-in plan for making Europe the world’s leader in electro-mobility’. The Platform is an alliance of organisations from across industries and transport modes representing manufacturers, infrastructure managers, operators and users of all types of vehicles as well as cities, civil society and other stakeholders.

Presently, transport is the only sector bucking the trend on emission reductions. Transport currently accounts for 34% and a growing share of emissions from all sectors not covered by the EU emission-trading system (ETS). Electro-mobility, i.e. the sustainable electrification of all modes of transport, is a key to deliver on all Energy Union long-term objectives: supply security, a fully integrated energy market, improved energy efficiency, emission reduction and advancing research and innovation. Reversely, the Energy Union Strategy will be crucial for deploying electro-mobility’s full potential with a series of important legislative milestones expected in the coming months. This paper identifies measures to ensure that Europe will be the leader on a fast and effective transition to electro-mobility, and is published just two days prior to the release of the Commission’s Energy Union Winter Package.

Electro-mobility directly supports each of the pillars of the Energy Union. It increases our energy security. It offers new solutions to deepen the achievement of the internal energy market by better linking the electricity and transport sectors. It helps better use our energy. It is a major driver of decarbonisation. And it pushes innovation forward.
The upcoming legislative proposals in the coming months all offer an opportunity to ensure that Europe can fully grasp these multiple benefits.