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    FIA EB’s Policy Positions: Technological neutrality, consumer affordability, and openness to alternatives to provide better impact in achieving climate targets

    29 November 2021

    29 November 2021 – The FIA European Bureau (EB) releases three policy positions in response to the “Fit for 55” package, concentrating on CO2 emissions standards, electromobility and fuels. The FIA EB welcomes the ambitious targets set by the European Commission (EC) and supports working towards achieving these targets. The FIA EB believes that the 55% reduction target from 2030 onwards is a step towards the right direction. However, technological neutrality, consumer affordability, and openness to other means of achieving climate goals should also be considered.

    “We are committed to supporting Europe’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2050, yet also convinced that this transition should leave no one behind and be truly carbon neutral – not only at tailpipe. We look forward to contributing to the debates with the European Parliament, European Commission and Council, to find a balanced and coherent way forward.” said Laurianne Krid, Director General at FIA Region I.

    The FIA EB stresses that a well-to-wheel assessment would give a more accurate picture of the impact of the vehicles we will put on the road: we must ensure to reach our goals, while retaining some level of technology neutrality. Consumers need reliable information on the footprint of the vehicles they consider buying and well-to-wheel would provide them with accurate information of the performances of different propulsions and fuels.

    The EB further believes that electromobility has a significant role to play in delivering a smooth transition. Already with today’s EU27 electricity mix, electric vehicles constitute an efficient way of lowering emissions from the transport sector. As new electric vehicles’ prices decrease, the total cost of ownership for users will become increasingly attractive, since the operation costs are currently lower than those of ICE powered cars. However, several challenges need to be overcome, to ensure that users embrace the transition: an adequate number of charging points, both at home or on the go, transparent tariffs for charging, and wide availability of rare minerals, to name a few, will be crucial for future developments.

    Alternative liquid and gaseous fuels will have a role in the transition and are a part of the solution to reach carbon neutrality in the medium term. The policy and regulatory framework should remain open to any option that would allow consumers to fully embrace the transition to climate neutrality and contribute to emissions reduction at an affordable cost. Low carbon liquid and gaseous fuels can play an important role in the transition to climate neutral mobility, besides electrification.

    Lastly, the FIA EB calls upon the European Parliament and Council to put in place all the necessary measures to support the climate transition, including investment in infrastructure, social support to the most vulnerable, and incentives to innovation, and leave no one behind.

    Read the FIA EB policy position on CO2 emission standards here

    Read the FIA EB policy position on electromobility here

    Read the FIA EB policy position on alternative liquid and gaseous fuels here