The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) said it welcomed a European Parliament vote on the EU roll out of charging and refuelling infrastructure.
The parliament voted earlier today on the European Commission’s proposed Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), part of its package of ‘Fit for 55’ climate laws.
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“We are pleased that MEPs have injected more ambition into this regulation, upping the national targets for both charging points and hydrogen fuelling stations, compared to the commission’s proposal,” said ACEA director general, Sigrid de Vries.
MEPs also voted in other improvements to AFIR, such as an increase in the required power output for light- and heavy-duty vehicle chargers, a faster roll out of hydrogen filling stations and more transparency and convenience for consumers, all of which are welcomed as steps in the right direction by the auto industry.
“However, even with these strengthened targets, AFIR will only provide a minimum network of infrastructure, which will have to be complemented by private sector initiatives,” added de Vries. EU policy makers should support this by de-risking investments and speeding up permitting and planning procedures, including for grid upgrades, ACEA said.
De Vries: “Policy makers have already set the bar very high for the auto industry when it comes to targets for CO2 emissions from cars and vans. It is now crucial that AFIR matches this level of ambition.”
ACEA has called on national governments, the European Parliament and the European Commission to maintain a strong AFIR in the trialogue negotiations.
ACEA has also cautioned setting truck specific infrastructure targets now would effectively determine the CO2 reductions that would be possible in this segment by the end of the 2020s. This needed to be taken into account for the forthcoming review of the HDV CO2 regulation.
