Urban Transport

EU plan to phase out 'conventionally fueled' cars by 2050

EU plan to phase out 'conventionally fueled' cars by 2050
The European Commission has released a white paper detailing ambitious plans to transform Europe's transport infrastructure by 2050 (Photo: Gizmag)
The European Commission has released a white paper detailing ambitious plans to transform Europe's transport infrastructure by 2050 (Photo: Gizmag)
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The European Commission has released a white paper detailing ambitious plans to transform Europe's transport infrastructure by 2050 (Photo: Gizmag)
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The European Commission has released a white paper detailing ambitious plans to transform Europe's transport infrastructure by 2050 (Photo: Gizmag)
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The European Commission has released a white paper detailing ambitious plans to transform Europe's transport infrastructure by 2050. The roadmap for a Single European Transport Area includes forty initiatives for road, rail and air travel that aim to increase mobility, reduce reliance on oil imports, cut emissions by 60% and combat congestion by halving the use of "conventionally fueled" cars in urban transport by 2030 with a view to phasing them out in cities by 2050.

The overall goal is to create a unified transport system capable of meeting the needs of the 500 million EU citizens.

"The widely held belief that you need to cut mobility to fight climate change is simply not true. Curbing mobility is not an option; neither is business as usual. We can break the transport system's dependence on oil without sacrificing its efficiency and compromising mobility. It can be win-win," said EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas.

Despite improvements following a 2001 White Paper on Transport [PDF], the Commission says Europe's transport system remains unsustainable. Without change, oil dependence of transport will remain around 90%, CO2 emissions from transport will remain one third higher than their 1990 level and congestion costs will increase by about 50% by 2050.

The challenge is to significantly reduce the transport system's dependence on oil without compromising efficiency or mobility. The major goals set out in the "Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area" are:

Air

  • 40% use of sustainable low carbon fuels in aviation by 2050 with complete modernization of Europe's air traffic control system achieved by 2020 to deliver the "Single European Sky". As an example, currently in the EU 27 different air traffic management systems add an average 49 km to each journey
  • All core network airports should be connected to the rail network by 2050
  • 40% use of sustainable low-carbon fuels in aviation. (Over 750 million people – one third of the world market – used EU airports in 2009.)

Roads

  • The gradual phasing out of conventionally-fueled cars in cities with a view to significantly reduce oil dependence, greenhouse gas emissions and local air and noise pollution
  • Use of smaller, lighter and more specialized road passenger vehicles with focus on fleets of city buses, taxis and delivery vans that can be adapted for new alternative propulsion and fuels
  • Move towards zero fatalities in road transport, with an interim target of halving all road casualties by 2020
  • Development of eco-driving requirements in future revisions of the driving license directives with reference to fuel-saving techniques
  • Progressively allowing for European electronic tolling systems through a single service provider for the whole of Europe, and providing an EU framework for charging schemes to alleviate congestion in cities. For example, current international hauliers need 13 permits, tags and tolling contracts to drive on all European tolled roads

Rail

  • Movement of more than 50% of road freight traveling more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) to rail or boat (30% by 2030)
  • A 50% shift of medium distance intercity passenger and freight journeys from road to rail and waterborne transport
  • Tripling the length of the current high-speed rail network by 2030 facilitated by an ambitious package of legislative initiatives that will shake up the regulatory framework for rail
  • Creating a fully functioning multi-modal transport system removing bottlenecks and barriers in other parts of the network. For instance the Thalys high-speed train through France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands must currently adapt to seven different signaling systems

Water

  • At least 40% cut in EU CO2 emissions from maritime transport (if feasible 50%) by 2050. Europe (EU/EEA) has the world's largest shipping fleet, directly employing some 300 000 seafarers on board merchant vessels and another three million in related jobs
  • All core seaports should be sufficiently connected to the rail freight and, where possible, an inland waterway system

Overall goals

  • Use of business-based greenhouse gas (GHG) certification schemes and common EU standards in order to estimate the carbon footprint of each passenger and freight journey
  • An overall 60% cut in transport emissions by 2050
  • Switching to cleaner public transport in cities, as well as the option of walking and cycling
  • A higher share of travel by public transport with minimum service obligations. Public transport quality and connections must be improved if consumer behavior is to change: currently 71% of car users feel that public transport is less convenient than the car while 72% say they don't use public transport because of a lack of connections, 54% mention lack of reliability
  • Promotion of available transport alternatives for individuals (drive less, walk and cycle, car sharing, park & drive, intelligent ticketing etc.) and facilitating them as an integral part of urban mobility and infrastructure design. In the UK, 60% of cars have only one occupant. One bus can carry the same number of people as 30 cars while only occupying the road space of three cars
  • Use of electric, hydrogen and hybrid technologies for long distance and inefficient "last-mile" freight transport, reducing air and noise emissions, allowing a greater portion of freight transport within the urban areas to take place at night, and easing road congestion during peak hours
  • Longer-distance travel, and intercontinental freight, air and sea travel should benefit from new engines, fuels and traffic management systems increasing efficiency and reducing emissions
  • Multi-modal travel planning and integrated ticketing across Europe
  • Creating a fair financial environment applying the "polluter pays" and "user pays" principle

The paper has been met with both support and criticism:
Adrian Tink, motoring strategist at RAC thinks the proposal is commendable and inevitable. "Anyone who's paying over £6 a gallon at the petrol pump will agree with the need to shift to alternative fuels for transport. The problem, at a time of government cuts and tough economic times for many people, is seeing where the massive investment to make this vision a reality is going to come from. We're scratching the surface with many of the alternatives at the moment, and until the technology becomes more mature and the price more affordable, it's difficult for the ordinary motorist to decide upon which bandwagon to jump."

AA president Edmund King agrees that the varied approaches to cutting CO2 are confusing motorists, and ultimately agrees that the move is inevitable. "The reality is that, by 2050, fossil fuel will be so expensive that a new approach to personal mobility will be inevitable."

The European Twowheel Retailers' Association welcomed the plans but were felt that the part two-wheelers could play in helping cut emissions had been underplayed. "Given that a quarter of CO2 emissions from transport occurs in cities, it is unfortunate that the European Commission doesn't give a bigger role to existing low-carbon options such as traditional and electric bicycles and electric scooters, mopeds and motorcycles." said ETRA secretary general Annick Roetynck.

"Weaning our transport system off its oil addiction is essential, said Friends of the Earth's transport campaigner, Richard Dyer. "Phasing out cars that run on fossil fuels from cities is a good way to kick-start action. But despite these headline-grabbing proposals, the emission reduction targets in the plan lack ambition. Commercial biofuels are not the answer. There's growing concern that commercial fuel crops imported into Europe are destroying forests, driving people off their land and generating more emissions than they save. Instead we need better public transport, smarter cars that use less fuel and more walking and cycling for shorter journeys. And our planning systems must be overhauled to reduce the distances people need to travel for work or essential services."

For more details and the other measures see the European Commission White Paper [PDF]. The facts and figures underlying the proposals also make interesting reading.

6 comments
6 comments
MimarSinan
are you kidding me? ICE will phase itself out by 2020.. all those people in these commissions, they don\'t have enough projects to work on or what?
Vanson
This should be looked at as a multi-billion dollar answer to problem that doesn\'t exist. Man made global warming is a fraud. Stricter CO2 emission standards increase the cost of automobiles to the consumer and don\'t have ANY effect on climate change. I\'m not against electric cars or alternative fuels, but only if it really makes sense.
Michael Mantion
LOL, I only wish I had a gimic to take their money... Does anyone believe in 40 years things will be different? Until they make a better battery electric just won\'t work. The only thing that can store enough energy is compressed air.
William Silverthorn
I am all for the Eletric car, but it isn\'t because of global warming it\'s just the answer to the problem of oils dominance of the market. We need Electric cars because of what will happen it the intererm. Less emitions yes but also the depenence on a money grubbing industry that has made million, no Billions on our transportation needs. Why isn\'t the eccess profits commisson involved in the oil industry?
Hmm_OK
Didn\'t see the article mention electric cars specifically!

So no-one here really wants less congestion, lower fuel bills, faster safer travel, cleaner air, a release from the reliance of fossile fuels and less red tape during their journeys then? I certainly do!

Everything must start somewhere and the best place is some good ideas with with a decent plan to get there. We got the ideas here; all we need is a few good people with the balls and political will power to achieve it, I wish you the best of luck.

To all above; if you\'re not part of the solution, you must be part of the problem!
holoman
Unlimited renewable unlimited energy forever.
A US company is developing disruptive technology unseen on the planet that can create hydrogen fuel like that used on the space shuttle main engines from any fresh/salt/brine water.
The hydrogen output energy amount is many times the energy input, i.e., solar or wind.
The technology is 100% green clean energy. In testbed proof of concept testing.
Search Google for advanced plasma industries.