Electric Vehicle Rollout to Impact EU's 2050 Net Zero Target

The European Union's external auditor, the European Court of Auditors (ECA), has shared that in order for the EU to reach its goal of net zero emissions by 2050, it needs to ensure that EVs become affordable. 

In addition, the 2035 ban on new petrol car sales will also cause problems for drivers if alternative fuel options are not credible. 

In order to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, all 27-members of the EU will need to emit no more emissions than what the bloc can balance out through CO2 removal. 

EV production in Europe is on the road to net zero

Purchases of electric vehicles in the EU have been increasing, from e-bikes to e-trucks. 

In Europe, EV drivers are spoilt for choice, from Renault Italia to Marelli, EZOO to Polestar and many more. In celebration of International Women’s Day on 8th March, we took a look back at some of the leading ladies across the EV sector in the UK and Europe.

Read the full list of our ‘Top 10: Women in EV in the UK & Europe’ here.

Despite the choice, more needs to be done to accommodate drivers. Across the bloc:

• The EU wants 30m zero-emission cars on European roads by 2030.
• The bloc represents 9% of global EV battery output (China accounts for 76%). 
• EU road transport accounts for nearly a quarter of emissions.
• 70% of EV charging points are in France, Germany and the Netherlands. 

As a result, the European Court of Auditors has warned that the EU may cause economic dependencies if it goes ahead with its current plans. Due to the high production costs of EVs in Europe, this means that drivers will be forced to rely on Chinese imports. 

"The EU faces a conundrum, how to meet goals without harming industrial policy and hurting consumers," said ECA member, Annemie Turtelboom. "EV prices would need to halve and subsidies do not seem to be a viable tool... Batteries alone already cost €15,000 when produced in Europe.”

Turtelboom warned that 2026 will be a key year for any policy reviews.

Sustainable fuel alternatives

In addition to this, alternative fuels such as biofuels, e-fuels and hydrogen, are not at a commercial scale.

On the other side of the planet, Air New Zealand & Neste are utilising Sustainable Aviation Fuel. The use of this fuel will lower carbon emissions by up to 80%, compared to using fossil jet fuel.
 

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