IV - Greening the transport sector

Thanks to new technologies and forward-looking policies, the EU is making significant progress in the shift to smart and sustainable transportation. But this success should not invite complacency. There are many challenges that must still be addressed, and the projects highlighted in this chapter are working to do exactly that.

Transport and Mobility

Climate Change and Environment

Energy

Thanks in large part to the EU’s CO₂ emissions standards for new passenger vehicles, along with financial incentives offered by national governments, Europe has seen a rapid uptake in electric vehicles (EV). In 2022 alone, electric car sales in Europe increased by over 15 %, meaning that more than one in every five cars sold was electric. The EU estimates there will be at least 30 million zero emission cars on the road by 2030.

Because of progress such as this, the European Commission, through its Sustainable and Smart Mobility strategy, is optimistic that the transport sector will be able to achieve a 90 % across the board cut in emissions by 2050. Yet there is more to be done to make mobility sustainable.

Sailing towards sustainability

Take the maritime sector, which is responsible for around 4 % of all CO₂ emissions in the EU. With transport by inland waterways and sea shipping expected to grow by 25 % by 2030, this footprint will continue to grow without new technologies and regulations.

Working to achieve this are the TrAM and FASTWATER projects, which are designing low-cost, zero-emission vessels powered by electricity and methanol gas. The savings continue when these ships are docked: the INES and PowerFLEX projects are developing new solutions to help electrify ports. Together, all four projects will reduce not only emissions, but air and noise pollution too.

While EV sales may have skyrocketed, the electrification of road transportation demands connected infrastructure. To help fill this gap between EV and E-roads, the 21-EU-TC-Connect-E Cohesion project is rolling out a network of charging points across some of Europe’s main travel corridors.

Heavy-duty vehicles aren’t as readily electrified as their passenger counterparts. For this reason, the LIFE NEW HYTS project believes that green hydrogen could be a viable alternative. The project aims to create the supply and demand conditions needed for the rapid uptake of green hydrogen fuelled heavy-duty vehicles – further paving the way towards a smarter, more sustainable transport sector.

Together, these projects are helping ensure that all roads in Europe lead to climate neutrality. Clean energy transition to REPower the EU A Synergy Info Pack by CORDIS27