European Automotive Industry in the Century of Asia

3 EUROPEAN, CHINESE AND AMERICAN INSTRUMENTS PROMOTING ELECTROMOBILITY The following chapter addresses electromobility as (a) a clean transport technology and (b) a geopolitically strategic technology area currently targeted by global players: the EU, China and the US. Reviewing recent automotive history, it is worth recalling that the initial impetus for energy-efficient transport solutions (including electromobility) were the oil shocks of the 1970s. They led to the introduction of the first regulations aimed at reducing overall fuel consumption (e.g., the 1975 CAFE programme in the US) and establishing programmes aimed at developing electric mobility, albeit unsuccessfully (e.g., the Federal Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Development Programme in the US). To date, the regions studied have adopted fuel economy standards to reduce their dependence on imported oil, with a particularly strong emphasis on mitigating the threat of increased dependence in China. Consumption standards are followed by policies to control local pollution, i.e., smog-causing emissions. Finally, regulations set limits on greenhouse gas emissions, and the EU has played a leading role in enforcing such policies. The following sections focus on each region (the EU, China and the US) and examine the current regulation and promotion of electric mobility, focusing on the last ten years and the geopolitical aspect of this technological change. 3.1 Regulation and Promotion of Electromobility in the EU The development of electromobility has been significantly supported by European environmental legislation prior to the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015. (1) The EU has regulated local pollutant emissions since the 1990s. The current EURO standard applies to the sale of all new cars put on the market since 2015 and has undergone significant changes, with individual limits being tightened considerably. (2) In 2008, a voluntary limit for greenhouse gas emissions from cars and vans placed on the market by individual car manufacturers (CO 2 limits) was set, leading to the first mandatory European standards for 2015. Following the Paris Agreement in 2015, the European Commission proposed the European Green Deal in 2019, which sets out a roadmap and actions to ensure a sustainable economy and zero net greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by 2050. It covers all EU industries, policies, and activities. The ultimate target agreed by EU Member States is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. One of the main components of the European Green Deal is the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Initiative. Under this initiative, the EU aims to reduce emissions from transport by 90% by 2050, introduce stricter standards for car pollution and promote alternative fuels for transport. The main instruments to combat climate change and

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