Europe needs a hybrid approach to defossilising road transport
ePURE Director General David Carpintero writes in Ethanol Producer Magazine: "Will the European Union continue to bet on only one method of reducing emissions from road transport, or will it adopt a more common-sense, hybrid approach?
"That’s the question many will be asking as the EU enters its next political cycle—with a new European Parliament already in session and a new European Commission soon to take office—with the latest statistics from the car industry showing motorists are still wary of battery-electric vehicles.
"Under its recently adopted legislation, which mandates that new cars sold from 2035 have zero emissions, the EU is essentially requiring automobile companies to shift all production to electric vehicles. While there could be room for carbon-neutral fuels to play a role, the European Commission has yet to define what will qualify under the definition of carbon-neutral.
"This is an important question, especially because the recent surge in sales of hybrid cars—which run on a combination of battery-electric power and liquid fuel—clearly confirms the need for flexibility."
