Europe faces challenges to EV industry

EU Electric Vehicle Harmonization aligns charging standards and interoperability, guiding policy, safety validation, and infrastructure to cut costs, support renewable energy integration, and accelerate deployment across Europe under Spain's EU presidency action plan.

The European Union faces challenges of safety, cost, competitiveness and technological harmonization in its plan to successfully develop its electric car industry, EU presidency holder Spain said.

"Obviously there are lots of questions... issues of legal security, validation, the safety of the vehicles themselves... and cost pressures," Spain's industry minister Miguel Sebastian said at a news conference after a meeting with European counterparts.

EU industry ministers gathered in northern Spain ahead of an action plan for European electric vehicle industry expected in May, and saw an exhibition of 15 models of electric cars and prototypes which are being developed in Europe.

"What struck us first of all was the disorder in the charging systems across the EU... it's all a little bit chaotic and that is something we will have to avert, in order to avoid what happened in the video industry," Sebastian said.

"But harmonization doesn't cost too much money at the moment, while grid readiness could prove expensive, what will cost money is if we have to say (to car manufacturers) that they have to change your designs in five years time," he added.

Spain has made the electric car a cornerstone of its six month EU presidency and following the Spanish plan for green cars domestically has much to gain from the development of an industry which could stem the huge loss of jobs from its own auto sector and use the large amounts of renewable energy it generates at off-peak hours.

Related News

• Electricity Forum News

• EV Infrastructure News