Recent studies are showing that the decision to allow only electrified vehicles to be sold as from 2035 will not lead to the expected reduction of emissions but will only shift those emissions from mines to battery production factories. A study by Volvo has shown that, for the same vehicle model, the life cycle of the electric version is more polluting than that with a combustion engine. Europe also has the problem of scarcity of the electricity that is needed to support the future fleet of electric vehicles and a grid that is unsuitable for bearing loads connected to charging points.

In strategic and geopolitical terms, too, the production of batteries is at odds with the monopoly of China, which is rich in raw materials.

Conversely, the EU would be able to achieve the same neutrality goals with regard to mobility-related emissions if it shifted its huge contributions from supercharged electrification to the production of low-carbon fuels which could be used in the 350 million vehicles on the road.

Can the Commission say whether:

1. it is aware that many European research centres have developed technologies that enable the production of organic or synthetic-based fuels using waste materials or hydrogen;

2. it is aware of the possible risk of thousands of redundancies in the automotive sector and how it intends to exploit European technologies in order to compete on foreign markets?

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