The transition to a climate-neutral society is an urgent challenge and an opportunity to build a better future for all. But how do we get there? So far, much of the emphasis in Europe has been on the shift to electric vehicles, which is certainly welcome. However, in order to significantly and rapidly reduce GHG emissions in road transport, we need to get the carbon footprint down of both vehicle production and use. This can be done very easily, by substituting some car and van trips by Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs), which are now widely available on the market: electric scooters, electric cycles or cargocycles, electric mopeds and motorbikes, and light electric tricycles and quadricycles. So, the Future is not only Electric but also Light!

LEVA-EU, as the only trade body for the Light Electric Vehicle sector, has commissioned a report from the renowned German Aerospace Center, DLR, The report will bring scientific data, highlighting the potential of LEVs in achieving EU and global climate goals, in reducing congestion and in improving overall quality of life. The study shows how electrifying cars and vans alone is not enough to make transport sustainable: the vehicles themselves must become considerably lighter to improve energy efficiency and to reduce their carbon footprint.

The study will be officially presented at a hybrid event on Thursday 24 March, called: The future is Electric and Light! The event will be a prime opportunity for industry decision-makers and policymakers at regional, city, and EU levels to discuss how to ensure the impact that LEVs can make to CO2 reduction is maximised.

The event will be online as well as live in the Brussels’ Renaissance Hotel, just next to the European Parliament. In the morning, the presentation of the report will be followed by a discussion involving policymakers at EU, national, regional, and city level on how to maximise the impact that LEVs can have in CO2 reduction and improved quality of life. In the afternoon, an international panel of scientists from various disciplines will discuss the report from their perspective. During the day, LEVs will be on show and available for testing, just outside the hotel.

The DLR report is the first step in a long-term initiative by LEVA-EU to encourage research into LEVs and to develop a network of researchers around the globe working on the LEV-potential to make a considerable contribution to cutting GHG Emissions. The DLR report will be presented in the coming months at several LEVs exhibitions, events and congresses.

The event website is now live, thefutureiselectricandlight.com. Further details on the programme will be added as we receive confirmation from panel members. On the website, visitors can also register for the event and they can explore sponsoring opportunities, here: https://bit.ly/35AaYrm.