EAC welcomes the position of the German Council Presidency hoping that the right course is set for a uniform charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure throughout Europe
EAC press release
Brussels/Berlin, 9 September 2020 – Everyone is talking about alternative fuels and propulsion systems. The massively reduced traffic volume due to the persisting pandemic has led to high emission reductions showing once again that the transport sector can effectively contribute to climate protection. This is increasingly taken into account as part of EU’s sustainable economic stimulus programmes fully committed to climate neutrality, and is making headlines.
“One million electric cars alone on German roads, as the federal government once forecast for 2020, are not yet on the roads today, but the rapidly increasing demand for climate-friendly mobility solutions is irrefutable. On the one hand, it concerns the actual availability and affordability of equivalent suitable alternatives to conventional combustion vehicles. On the other hand, the parallel creation of a compressive refuelling and charging infrastructure is indispensable in order to create real incentives to purchase such cars and to be able to contribute to the desired transport transformation as a consumer.”, explained EAC President Bernd Opolka.
The revision of Directive 2014/94/EU on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (AFID), repeatedly mentioned by the European Commission, is scheduled for next year. In this regard, EAC expressly welcomes the German Council Presidency’s plans aiming at providing for a Europe-wide harmonised and uniform payment system for electricity charging and hydrogen refuelling. "This creates transparency, brings convenience and promotes the experience of barrier-free mobility across Europe.", said EAC President praising the initiative, and however added, "To increase the effectiveness of the measure, it should not be limited to electricity and hydrogen, but benefit the entire spectrum of alternative fuels. "
Another point concerns the appropriate handling of sensitive mobility data ("geolocation data"), generated especially when locating charging and refuelling infrastructures in various EU Member States. Regarding this, EAC has clearly positioned itself demanding that all concerns are taken into account for the benefit and protection of the car consumer (“The driver is the measure of all vehicle data.”, see position paper 11/2019).
"As long as there is no complete all-clear as regards the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and confidence in public transport has not been fully restored, private individual mobility solutions remain crucial.", states Bernd Opolka and emphasised, "That also applies for the cross-border traffic in Europe, especially in the border regions. Any degree of harmonisation of the charging and refuelling infrastructure is a relief for drivers."
The European Automobile Clubs (EAC) is a consumer association representing the interests of more than three million people. As a partner for mobility, our vision is a Europe without borders where travelling becomes easy. That requires harmonising traffic laws between the EU Member States and driving forward innovative technologies – to ensure greater safety and sustainability on the roads.
Contact person for further enquiries:
Garunya Wieczorek MA (IEP Paris), MSc (LSE)
Policy officer
E-Mail: wieczorek@eaclubs.org
Web: www.eaclubs.org
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