ACEA says that without improved conditions, unlikely full potential of e-mobility will be met; need for standards, coordinated approach to incentives, R&D support; 2–8% market penetration for next decade
07 January 2013
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) is warning that under current conditions, it is unlikely that the full potential of e-mobility will be met.
This is partly due to the current economic situation, with declining sales of vehicles. However, the trade association says, it is to a large extent also due to slow progress in charging standards; the fragmentation of internal market as a result of uncoordinated approach to market incentives; a lack of dedicated support for R&D; and no clear and unified vision on infrastructure.
E-mobility can be part of a long-term solution to our mobility challenges. However, we need to have the right framework conditions if it is to really take off. It will only be possible to book real progress if there is full cooperation between utility providers, infrastructure companies, the energy sector, standardisation bodies and the automotive industry—with the full support of national governments and the European institutions.
—Ivan Hodac, ACEA Secretary General
Standardizing the connection between the electricity grid and electrically-chargeable vehicles is one of the prerequisites to help e-mobility gain a viable market share, ACEA says. It provides predictability to investors, enables economies of scale, reduces costs for all stakeholders and is essential in increasing user acceptance.
The industry has stressed the need for a single harmonized plug system for the recharging of electric vehicles on both the vehicle and the infrastructure sides, and already agreed on a joint proposal for an EU-wide charging system last year. However, ACEA said that the industry is very concerned by the lack of progress in creating the framework to meet these goals.
This was one of the key incentives for ACEA members to revise their position on electrically-chargeable vehicles (ECVs) and to lower their expectations for the future market share of these vehicles. ACEA now forecasts the future market penetration of ECVs to be in the range of 2–8% for the next decade, with significant differences among manufacturers depending on their individual strategies.
The ACEA members are BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, FIAT S.p.A., Ford of Europe, General Motors Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, IVECO S.p.A., Jaguar Land Rover, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars, Volvo Group.
They forgot to mention the need for a viable battery.
Posted by: Mannstein | 07 January 2013 at 08:37 AM
The ACEA has defined a need for more "consultation" and more "Liason". Just what is exactly needed, more tax-eating bureaucrats, who can't unravel a spool of thread...
"Batteries? Batteries! We don't need no stinkin' batteries! "
Posted by: D | 07 January 2013 at 09:00 AM
The leaders, Japan and China and India would naturally set future e-vehicle standards and others, like (USA and EU ex-leaders) will follow?
Posted by: HarveyD | 07 January 2013 at 10:33 AM
"with declining sales of vehicles"? What vejhicles are they talking about? Sales of plug-ins tripled last year.
Batteries can be improved, but what is really needed is a car company that can make the transition from "compliance car quantities" to real world quantities. You can't make them cheap if you sell only 10K and you can't sell more than 10K unless you make them cheap. So it takes one of these companies to sell at the correct price. They have to really want to sell them, and I don't think they do.
Posted by: Brotherkenny4 | 07 January 2013 at 10:49 AM
The profit margins are not big. Capitalists maximize profits, so why should they make a low profit car that few people want?
Posted by: SJC | 07 January 2013 at 01:14 PM
The problem is that regular cars are too cheap to profit and base a whole car company on.. you need pickups and expensive cars to generate a decent profit. Perhaps the Tesla S will move electrics away from econoboxes
Posted by: Herm | 07 January 2013 at 01:36 PM
The major steps to increased electrified vehicle sales are :
1) improved (600 Wh/Kg) lower cost plug-in modular batteries (by 2020 or so)
2) much lighter (aluminum + composites) more aerodynamic bodies.
3) improved, higher efficiency, much lighter electric accessories and more driver assistance units.
All three essential steps should be mastered and in mass production by 2020 or so.
Posted by: HarveyD | 07 January 2013 at 02:12 PM
Electrified vehicle sales will only increase when we get:
1) Improved lower cost batteries
2) Buyers that will purchase a less practical car at an inflated price. How else can sales be large for cars that few people want? Like capitalists, buyers want to maximize the value they get at the lowest cost.
3) Aluminum companies to sell at the correct price.
4) Gov EV rebate redirected to apply to cars with aluminum content. There is NO better deal then if somebody ELSE pays for your car.
5) Improved lower cost batteries
6) Car companies that REALLY want to sell (at a loss) the type of car that few people want. "They" want us to believe that people pick out the car they want and can afford and buy it; but we all know the automakers SELL the car (that they want to sell) TO us.
7) Oh, did I mention; Improved lower cost batteries; New concept; lower cost, lower price, more sales.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 09 January 2013 at 05:14 AM