In response to the energy crisis and rising fuel-import costs, the Government of Pakistan has given a briefing on national initiatives to lower fuel consumption. This includes the significant promotion of LEVs such as electric motorcycles.
At the National Energy Conservation Policy conference, Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, proposed the shift away from conventional combustion engine motorcycles. He suggested that the change would benefit individuals, the economy, and the environment, plus reduce the country’s annual petrol spending – currently Pakistan spends 3 billion USD on petrol to power motorcycles each year. The new initiative aims to gradually phase out petrol-powered motorcycles completely.
While the initial purchase point is higher, the government of Pakistan has outlined how the bikes can be more cost-effective throughout the product’s lifetime. Financial aid to promote the shift to electric power is currently under consideration.
Comments Off on Next week: The first European micromobility meeting for PLEV users by non-profit organizations and user groups
This exciting event will take place on the last weekend of August, from Friday 26 August 2022 at 16:00 to Sunday 28 August 2022 at 16:00, in Brussels (Belgium), at the Tour and Taxis site, Avenue du Port 86 C, 1000 Brussels.
The new meeting offers a place for discussions on micromobility, its assets, challenges, and developments for the future. The event is free to attend and open to all those interested.
This event is the initiative of legal non-profit associations and user groups active on social networks and working for better European (micro-) mobility.
Comments Off on EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2022 – registration and theme
Towns and cities are warmly invited to participate in EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, which takes place from 16-22 September each year. The theme for 2022 is ‘Better Connections’
Registration is now open to the official local authority of towns or cities that may wish to participate.
Participating areas are encouraged to organize activities focusing on sustainable mobility, implement progressive transport measures, and host a ‘car-free day’.
“The EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2022 annual theme, ‘Better connections’, seeks to highlight and foster synergies between people and places that are offering their expertise, creativity, and dedication to raising awareness about sustainable mobility and promoting behavioral change in favor of active mobility, in addition to reaching out and making connections between existing groups and new audiences.”
The five pillars of ‘Better connections’ are:
People
Places
Packages
Planning & Policy
Download the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK thematic guidelines document here.
LEVA-EU member Hirschvogel is one of the world’s largest motor vehicle parts suppliers. Now, the auto giant shifts its focus towards ‘green business’
In its move to compete in the green and light mobility market, including that of bicycles, the business has dedicated 67% of its 2021 investment into such sectors; this equates to approximately €174 million. For context, the group consolidated sales of €1.25 billion in 2018 and employs over 6,000.
This new focus should come as no surprise after the group revealed some 70% of orders for parts won in 2021 were associated with ‘green businesses’, with this trend continuing into 2022.
“The focus is on green business, the “green” business around CO2 – emission-free mobility concepts. In order to ensure growth and employment at all locations for future generations as well, we are currently aligning the components business in the automotive sector with high pressure towards e-mobility and drive independence. At the same time, we would like to grow through company investments in related technologies and markets,” says Jörg Rückauf, the company CEO.
Four European sustainable mobility champion locations were recently unveiled in Brussels by Matthew Baldwin, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Transport and Mobility.
The four awards and victors were; European Mobility Week Award 2021 for larger municipalities, Kassel (Germany); European Mobility Week Award 2021 for smaller municipalities, Valongo (Portugal); the 10th annual Award for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP), Tampere (Finland); and the EU Road Safety Award, Rethymno (Greece).
European Mobility Week is an annual event, running from 16-22 September. Cities and towns across Europe can take this opportunity to trial new ideas, promote infrastructure and technologies, and track their own air quality. Residents become involved with and begin discussions surrounding sustainable mobility, heralding a social change towards a greener world. The event saw record-breaking levels of participation in 2021 with over 3,100 towns joining the scheme.
Adina Vălean, European Commissioner for Transport, commended the award winners’ and finalists’ achievements, sharing:
“I would like to extend my congratulations to the winners of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Awards as well as to all finalists. These cities have taken concrete actions to tackle transport emissions, noise, and congestion through innovative actions. With the new EU Urban Mobility Framework, we will support better planning of sustainable urban mobility, putting public transport, walking, and cycling at the core of local authorities’ efforts to improve people’s everyday lives.”
In a report released by the Clean Cities Campaign, 36 European cities were shown to have made inadequate progress towards green mobility goals if they are to meet the agreed 2030 deadline. Zero-emission mobility can be reached via a transition to active, shared, and electric mobility options. Director Barbara Stoll has referred to the report as “a wake-up call to city leaders across Europe“.
Cities were ranked according to criteria including active travel options (walking, cycling, etc.), road safety, public transport accessibility, congestion level, electric charging infrastructure, and pollution levels. Taking into account the ongoing climate crisis, city policymakers must act quickly to transition populations to sustainable transport options. Three-quarters of all Europeans live in cities, all of which are ‘failing’ in regard to mobility goals.
Renowned forward-thinking city Oslo topped the rankings, and notably, Ghent, in which the LEVA-EU headquarters are based, was placed 7th with a rating of B, sitting amongst the likes of Amsterdam and Copenhagen. These cities, while still having room for improvement, can serve as an inspiration for others who wish to accelerate their green transition.
‘Sofia Coin’ will track individual usage of sustainable transport, offering rewards for consistent adoption.
The app ‘Sofia Coin’ is the collaborative effort of the Municipality and Bulgarian businesses to promote sustainable mobility, healthier lifestyles, and boost the economy. City goers can use the app to track the distance travelled using bikes, e-scooters, e-bikes, public transportation, or by foot. The app will then relay information on carbon emissions saved; and by accumulating points over time, prizes ranging from small accessories to concert tickets can be won.
Outside of encouraging commuters to alter their habits, Sofia Coin will allow local authorities to target high-volume areas for a sustainable upgrade. In a swift move, the Municipality has incentivised green mobility, and, created a research tool that allows intelligent city planning to further solidify sustainable transport in Sofia’s future.
The app combines the efforts of Eventim, the biggest event ticket platform, Hobo and Brum, e-scooter operators in the city, E-bike rental and A1 – the biggest telecommunications operator.
According to provisional data, published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA), average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new passenger cars registered in the European Union (EU), Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom (UK), increased in 2019, for the third consecutive year. The average CO2 emissions from new vans also increased slightly. Zero- and low-emission vehicles must be deployed much faster across Europe to achieve the stricter targets that apply from 2020.
The EEA has published the provisional data for the average CO2 emissions from new passenger cars and vans registered in the EU, Iceland, Norway and the UK in 2019. The provisional 2019 data on new registrations can be explored through a new EEA data dashboard.
After a steady decline from 2010 to 2016, by almost 22 grams of CO2 per kilometre (g CO2/km), average emissions from new passenger cars increased in 2017 and in 2018 (by 2.8 g CO2/km in total). According to provisional data, the upward trend continued with an additional increase of 1.6 g CO2/km in 2019, reaching 122.4 grams of CO2 per kilometre. This remains below the target of 130 g CO2/km that applied until 2019 but well above the EU target of 95 g CO2/km that phases-in this year.
The reasons for the increase in car emissions include the growing share of the sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment. The market penetration of electric cars remained slow in 2019.
Vans registered in the EU, Iceland, Norway and the UK in 2019 emitted on average 158.4 g CO2/km, which is 0.5 g/km more than in 2018. This remains well below the target of 175 g CO2/km that applied until 2019 but is still 11 g CO2/km higher than the EU target of 147 g CO2/km that applies from this year on. Several factors affected this emission increase, including an increase in the average mass and only a limited increase of the share of electric vans (BEV sand PHEV) from 0.8 % in 2018 to 1.3% in 2019.
LEVA-EU, the sole trade association for the light electric vehicle sector, says the European Commission cannot continue to ignore a key barrier to growth for the LEV market following its decision to carry out yet another study into LEVs.
LEVA-EU wrote to the European Commissiion calling for urgent legislative change for LEVs, centring on the technical legislation for L-category vehicles – mopeds and motorcycles. At the request of the Commission, the European Council and Parliament decided in 2013 to only exclude electric bicycles with pedal assistance up to 25 km/h and 250 W from this L-category. So, all other electric bicycles are included in technical legislation, which was originally written for internal combustion engine mopeds and motorcycles. This leaves manufacturers forced to navigate complicated, costly and inaccurate procedures. Moreover LEVA-EU said classing LEVs in the same category as mopeds presents considerable safety issues for riders.
In a reply to LEVA-EU, Joanna Szychowska, head of the Automotive and Mobility Industries Unit at the Commission’s DG Grow, said the EC would shortly launch a study on the safety of personal mobility devices that would also look at the relevance of requirements for certain vehicle categories of the legislation in question, Regulation (EU) No 168/2013.
But LEVA-EU manager Annick Roetynck said the organisation found the response ‘deeply frustrating’ saying it was ‘more procrastination’ and ‘more costly delays’ for the highly innovative LEV sector which is desperate to break free from the ill-fitting regulation.
In the letter, Ms Szychowska said the EC was working to provide effective measures to facilitate the ramping up of production after the end of the COVID-19 confinement phase, while at the same time looking for ways to promote cleaner ways of transport.( see notes to editors)
Earlier in June, the EC’s executive vice-president, Frans Timmermans, spoke at a major press conference on green transport and addressed the EU’s pledge of 20 billion euros for sustainable infrastructure transport projects, including electric mobility and bike lane schemes, saying: “When it comes to public investment to relaunch the transport sector more sustainable mobility will be key… funds can support the financing of one million electric vehicle charging points, clean fleet renewals, sustainable transport infrastructure especially looking at modalities of rail and electric mobility and bike lanes in cities.”
But Ms Roetynck said rhetoric is not being matched with action. “The current 250W limit handcuffs the e-cargo-bike-industry so that it cannot meet the current demand from consumers,” she said. “The inaccurate type approval is creating a huge legal bottleneck for ebikes, nipping development in the bud before it has had time to flourish. By not changing LEV legislation, the EU Commission is doing harm to its own climate ambitions and we need change now. Moreover, as a result of these rules, riders are often forced to ride in dangerous conditions because the speed difference between them and other means of transport is often life-threatening.”
Ms Roetynck said LEVA-EU had written to Mr Timmermans and the three EU Commission presidents. The group had already received a response from the cabinet of President Charles Michel stating: “On 23 April, President Charles Michel together with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen presented to the Heads of State and Government the Roadmap for recovery. It was agreed that the green transition will play a central and priority role in relaunching and modernising the EU economy. Further action to decarbonise the transport sector, which should also improve air quality, is necessary to succeed in the green transition. The Council of the European Union will thoroughly examine any proposal in this regard brought forward by the European Commission.”
But Ms Roetynck said the response was ‘warm words’ but left the problem of reforming Regulation 168/2013 still firmly at the door of the European Commission.
Ms Roetynck also pointed to a recent study in Belgium called project 365SNEL which examined the benefits of commuting by speed pedelec. The study found that workers highlighted punctuality and improved mental health as their main motivations for choosing a light electric vehicle over a car. The research followed 106 employees from ten companies commuting on a speed pedelec for three weeks and involved people who had never ridden a speed pedelec before, and who lived between 15km and 35km from their workplace.
The predictability of journey time was an important factor for many, as traffic considerations did not need to be made. Many enjoyed the exercise element, which meant they arrived at work with a clear head, said the study. The main hurdle for many consumers was the price.
“This study again shows the key role speed pedelecs can make to the future of commuting,” she said. “But it is critical we encourage the growth of the sector and remove barriers quickly as solutions to the future of green transport are needed urgently now as cities across Europe and the world are scrambling to find safe and sustainable forms of transport and commuting. It is worrying that the study found consumers are being put off by price as price is a direct result of extremely complicated, inaccurate European technical rules.”
LEVA-EU acts on behalf of around 50 members across Europe and estimates about three million E-bikes alone were sold in the European Union during 2019. About 98 per cent of these were E-bikes with pedal assistance up to 25 km/h and 250W, which shows the extent the technical legislation for L-category obstructs the development of new types of E-bikes.
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