October 12, 2021 11:00am EDT
According to the analysis provided by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest report, “Global Energy Review 2021”, carbon dioxide emissions due to transport, despite growing more slowly in recent years, still represent 24% of total emissions. Road vehicles are responsible for almost two-thirds of emissions, while the remaining one-third, more difficult to abate, is due to air and ship traffic.
Transport emissions in 2019 for the first time grew by less than 0.5% compared to the annual average increase of about 1.9% of the previous two decades. The reason for this positive trend is partly attributable to the rapid spread of electric vehicles, as well as to the diffusion of less polluting fuels.
Despite the pandemic and the vertical collapse of mobility, the demand for electric vehicles increased significantly in 2020, rising 43% compared to 2019. In Europe, despite a decline in the car market of 22%, the electric vehicles registered in 2020 doubled compared to the previous year and reached the record number of 1.4 million. In the USA, there was a slight decrease (295,000 new electric vehicles compared to 327,000 in 2019), probably due to the reduction of federal incentives, which was much lower than the overall decline in the car market of 23%. Overall, there are about 10 million electric vehicles in the world (of which 4.5 million in China, 3.2 million in Europe, and 1.8 million in the US), and it is estimated that there might be over 200 million electric vehicles by 2030.
Together with biofuels and green hydrogen, electrification will be a crucial tool to reduce emissions in the transport sector and consequently contribute to achieving some of the ambitious gas emission targets. Alongside the progressive electrification of vehicles, however, it will be essential to significantly increase the share of electricity generated through renewable and / or clean sources and make the production and the distribution system more efficient, by exploiting the opportunities offered by new technologies.
To discuss the impact of electric mobility on the energy transition process, the Embassy of Italy in Washington is organizing a webinar bringing together Italian and US experts in electrification coming from leading companies and academic institutions. The Webinar will be held in English and will be open to the public.
Mariangela ZAPPIA, Ambassador of Italy to the U.S. will open the event, together with Michael BERUBE, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation – Department of Energy.
The roundtable will see the participation of five prominent experts: Ram RAJAGOPAL , Director – Stanford Sustainable Systems Lab – Stanford University; Maria Laura DELLE MONACHE, Institute of Transportation Studies – University of California Berkeley; Marcello CANOVA , Center for Automotive Research – Ohio State University; Maurizio REGGIANI, Chief Technical Officer – Lamborghini; Federico CALENO, Head – E-MobilityItaly – ENEL X
Rachel FRAZIN from The Hill will moderate the event.
