The industry assumes the transition to the electric car, but not the ban on technologies

Manufacturers are not concerned about the European Union’s decarbonisation targets. And brands like Jaguar, Ford, Opel or Audi have already confirmed their intention to sell only electric models this decade or the beginning of the next decade. And almost all European manufacturers have electrified, plug-in hybrid or 100% electric models in their current range.

The general answer to the question about this electrification process is almost unanimous: “The brands have done their homework, but greater involvement from administrations is needed when it comes to increasing the number of public charging points and reducing costs.” , for the consumer, of the electric car. A phrase in quotes that the directors of the car manufacturers in Spain and on the European continent have repeated in the latest product presentations.

The figures speak for themselves too: Electric cars accounted for almost 8% of new registrations in Western Europe in the first five months of this year, totaling 356,000 vehicles.

However, the situation is different in Spain, where the slowdown compared to the rest of Europe is piling up and increasing. In the first quarter of 2022, for example, a growth of 1.4 points was achieved compared to the previous period, to a total of 13.3 points out of 100 in the electromobility barometer of the ANFAC Manufacturers Association. Despite this increase, the national position differs from the leaders in electromobility and the gap with the European average widens by almost 15 points, which amounts to 28.1 points. In this way, Spain continues to distance itself from the rest of the European countries in the global indicator that assesses the penetration of electric vehicles and the installation of public charging infrastructures.

The Manufacturers Association believes that by 2022 it would be necessary to triple the presence of charging infrastructure compared to the previous year to reach at least 45,000 public charging points.

In addition, the switch to the electric vehicle will entail a complete transformation of the industrial fabric in Spain, with the corresponding consequences for employment. According to the Boston Consulting Group’s report for the Business Association for the Development and Promotion of Electric Mobility (AEDIVE), presented last January, more than 21,000 jobs are at stake and another 35,000 will undergo substantial changes by the arrival of the electric car, and some 90,000 will need specific training to adapt to the new realities of car production. According to the report, the losses in the automotive sector are offset by the jobs generated in batteries and charging infrastructure, amounting to the net creation of 1,000 jobs. Turning to the positive numbers, 17,000 vacancies are expected to be filled for jobs related to electrical infrastructure.

The Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA) has defended that despite the automotive industry undergoing changes to decarbonise and offer carbon neutral mobility solutions in the European Union, the internal combustion engine will remain a mobility solution “for many years to come.” .

The association has indicated that the transition to climate neutral road transport will require many “coherent” policies across the European Union, especially for road transport.

ACEA has also proposed to improve the key parameters of petrol and diesel, which will allow better quality control and reduce polluting emissions from old and new vehicles in favor of air quality.

For its part, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (Clepa) has expressed its support for the trend towards electrification, but has confirmed that the transition must be “well managed” and has demanded that the technologies should not be banned, but the use of fossil fuels fuels if you want to reduce emissions.

Despite this, the association has emphasized that phasing out internal combustion engine technology by the year 2035 would mean the elimination of approximately 501,000 jobs from suppliers manufacturing components of these systems. Of those half a million jobs, 70% (359,000 people) are likely to be lost between 2030 and 2035, highlighting the “limited time available” to manage the social and economic impacts.

In Spain, the Spanish Association of Car and Truck Manufacturers has defended the implementation of public measures in addition to the current ones. In addition, they have defended that now is not the time to decide on the targets to be achieved in 2035, but to wait until 2028.

Environmental organization Transport & Environment (T&E) points out that car manufacturers could add around 800 billion euros to their market value this decade if they switch to electrification more quickly.

The association has argued that in three to five years profit margins for electric car manufacturers will exceed those of internal combustion engine manufacturers. Likewise, by the end of the 2020s, engine manufacturers’ profit margins will have shrunk and could even be negative on balance sheets.

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.