As Marc Sens, senior vice-president advanced development powertrain and sustainability in mobility at IAV, explains, the study sought to deepen understanding of a number of things. These include: how the CO2<\/sub> footprint of the light-duty vehicle transport sector in Europe will be affected by the ramp-up of battery electric mobility over the next fifteen years; how best the maximum overall CO2<\/sub> footprint reduction can be achieved; how effective CO2<\/sub> neutral drop-in fuels can be; and the impact of employing alternative energy consumption assessment strategies on overall fleet assessment. \u201cThe study is confined to the 15-year period until 2035 since our aim was to work with possible assumptions that are as accurate as possible. \u00a0It\u2019s fair to say that the more we would have extended the assessment period, the more speculative it would have been,\u201d says Sens.<\/p>\n A key finding of the report is that that the introduction of drop-in fuels is the best way to achieve what Sens describes as the fastest and highest CO2<\/sub> intensity reduction to the transport sector.\u00a0 Another key conclusion is that, if the CO2<\/sub> burden of the European (and German) electricity mix is not significantly reduced as quickly as possible, and no other technology is introduced in parallel to the electro mobility, CO2<\/sub> emissions caused by the transport sector, at least from a life-cycle perspective, could rise rather than fall over the next 10 to 15 years. \u201cIf the aim is to achieve a maximum CO2<\/sub> reduction in the transport sector, it is not sufficient to rely on just one technology, namely electro mobility. \u00a0What is needed instead is a plurality of technologies. \u00a0That is absolutely essential,\u201d says Sens.<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as electricity is produced in a fully renewable way and widely available, electro mobility would be a great solution to reduce the CO2<\/sub> footprint of the transport sector as soon as possible.\u00a0 However, it is important to bear in mind that the results of such a comprehensive study are bound to change if boundaries or assumptions change,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n For Sens, the key implications of the findings are that industry should not just focus on one specific single technology, particularly if the entire eco system is not yet ready or available, and that biobased and synthetic fuels with a close to zero CO2<\/sub> footprint should be brought into the market as quickly as possible, at least as a drop-in solution and regulation must be adapted to allow these considerations within fleet CO2 assessment. \u201cThe transition to electro-mobility could and should be aligned to the maturity of the technology, availability of the eco-system and, most importantly, to the acceptance of the technology from a customer-user perspective,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Crucially, Sens stresses that, although there are around 270M vehicles on Europe\u2019s roads, there are around 1.4Bn worldwide.\u00a0 He also points out that the transition to mainly electro-mobility will be very complicated in emerging countries and markets. \u201cICE-based vehicles will still exist quite for a long time and, thus, the need for CO2<\/sub> neutral fuels is an absolute must, at least if the target is a fast and sustainable reduction of the transport sectors\u2019 CO2<\/sub> footprint,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cIn terms of the best mix of engine types, it\u2019s not possible to give a straight answer. \u00a0It really depends on the fleet mix, on available boundary conditions and other factors. \u00a0Generally speaking, however \u2026 the fastest and best way to reduce CO2<\/sub> is to promote the production of CO2<\/sub>-neutral synthetic fuels in regions where renewable electricity potential is extensively available, for instance the MENA region or South America, as quickly as possible,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/07\/AFMC4000-300x150.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n