Promoting alternative automotive technologies and alternative fuels – major insights from the EU-project “ALTER-MOTIVE”

Panel: 4. Transport and mobility: How to deliver energy efficiency

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Authors:
Amela Ajanovic, Vienna University of Technology, Austria
Felipe Toro, Institute for Resource Efficiency and Energy Strategies, Germany, Germany
Sandro Furlan, Eni Corporate University S.P.A. (ENI), Italy, Italy
Gerfried Cebrat, Austrian Mobility Research, Austria
Reinhard Haas, Vienna University of Technology, Austria, Austria

Abstract

Increasing the market shares of alternative fuels (AF) – like hydrogen, biodiesel – and of alternative and more efficient automotive technologies (AAMT) – like electric vehicles and fuel cell cars – is considered as a major policy measure for reducing energy consumption and CO2-emissions in the EU. To find strategies and to derive an action plan for how to promote AF and AAMT in a least-cost manner up to 2020 and how to link them to other policy measures like taxes and standards was the core objective of the project ALTER-MOTIVE funded within the Intelligent Energy-Europe (IEE) programme.

In this paper we summarise the major results and conclusions of this project. The major (preliminary) over-all conclusion is that measures that focus on reduction of transport (like fuel taxes) and enhancement of efficiency (like fuel economy standards) are of superior relevance for reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions. They are superior to the promotion of any alternative fuels.

In detail the major recommendations to bring about a remarkable CO2 emission reduction by 2020 are: (i) Strive for harmonised fuel taxes at the upper level of current overall fuel price range in Europe; (ii) intensify R&D in efficiency and tighten standards of conventional cars; (iii) introduce a well-tuned registration and ownership tax system based mainly on specific CO2 emissions per km. This system should provide a clear incentive to buy smaller cars; (iv) regarding AF: avoid subsidies and focus on (justified) tax exemption based on CO2 relief; (v) regarding AAMT (e.g. electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles) invest in and emphasize R&D, strive for minimum standards regarding technical reliability (e.g. range, battery quality), promote field tests reasonably and moderately but avoid subsidies for vehicles of any type of technology! (vi) remove incentives for the purchase of larger cars as very often exist in commercial enterprises.