Spain to reach 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 in Spain fell for the first time by 6.4% compared to 1990 and 38.6% compared to 2005, bearing in mind 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 developing sustainable mobility and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) through the European Green Deal, which requires all new vehicles and vans to be carbon neutral by 2035. Likewise, the need is identified to provide an electric charging point every 60 kilometers and a hydrogen charging pump every 150 kilometers, as a fleet of 30 million cars and 80,000 zero-emission trucks is expected in Europe by 2030.

In this sense, Spain still has a long way to go, because according to the data collected in the “III Sustainable Mobility Observatory” report, prepared by Grant Thornton in collaboration with the Ibercaja Foundation and Mobility City, we have one of the oldest in Europe, with an average of 13.5 years, which increases the level of emissions and particulates in the atmosphere. Presenting the report, representatives of the automotive and mobility sector in Spain emphasized the historic moment facing the industry and the need to take advantage of the opportunities offered by European funds and the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation of the Electric and Connected Vehicle (Perte VEC).

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

In the first half of 2021, sales of electric passenger cars increased by 140% compared to the same period in 2019, representing 7% of total sales worldwide. By contrast, the global zero-emission bus fleet has 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 production capacity; followed by Europe, with 2.2 million vehicles, and the United States, with 1.3 million cars without pollutants.

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 euros for the purchase of an electric vehicle, has enabled the growth of this market. Our country has set itself the goal of having 5 million plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles by 2030.

According to the report, Spain will have to face several challenges and barriers in order to achieve the programmed objectives, given in the first place by the autonomy of the batteries, almost 200-350 kilometers, which determines the duration of the trips. On the other hand, the infrastructure network has no official registration and is far from the target of 100,000 charging points set by the government by 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 permits. According to Fernando León, mobility specialist at Kia Iberia, “Efforts still need to be made at the administrative level in the area of ​​preferential processing of electric vehicles.”

The Deputy Director-General of Mobility and Technology Management of the Directorate-General for Transport, Jorge Ordás, acknowledges that “the slow development of the electric vehicle is related to the lack of information about charging points”, and in this sense emphasizes the importance of having about an effective information network for users.

According to the president of the National Association of Vehicle Sellers (Ganvam), Raúl Palacios, “There are currently more cars being sold that are older than 15 years — 167,120 units in total until March — than new — 164,399 units — which is a bad thing.” service for a park whose average age continues to grow, for more than 13 years.» Palacios believes that sustainable mobility is incompatible with a fleet of that age. In recent years, with registrations of less than 900,000 units, there were approximately 700,000 casualties, so “we need to eliminate at least 190,000 additional vehicles to reverse the age curve of the circulating fleet. And this can be achieved, at least in part, by introducing up to 5 years into the demolition 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 the tax area,” he emphasizes.

José López-Tafall, General Manager of the Spanish Association of Manufacturers (Anfac), explains that the automotive sector faces the dual challenge of decarbonization and digitalization driven by the dynamism of society and from the regulatory field. “We have a lot to conquer in the auto industry, but through a transient process that maintains production and employment. We need to boost demand for the electric vehicle with help to purchase it and develop a broad network of charging infrastructures.”

Source: La Verdad

Ida

I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.