Tag Archive: LEV

  1. COP26 – Light Electric Vehicles – Urgent call for Emissions Research

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    The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, is the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference. It is scheduled to be held in the city of Glasgow from 1 to 12 November 2021 under the presidency of the United Kingdom. This Conference is an unmissable opportunity to draw attention to what light electric vehicles can contribute to the fight against climate change. In this framework, LEVA-EU launches the following urgent call for research.

    Task: model the micromobility future

    The emissions case for the mass adoption of electric vehicles has been made, repeatedly and in detail. Some transport emissions modelling exercises have begun to include cycling as a factor. Few however have modelled the effect of recent mass adoption of e-bikes. To our awareness, none have incorporated the possible effect of optimal adoption of light mobility across the full range of vehicle sizes and categories. For LEVA-EU, light mobility includes all vehicles in the L-category as defined by Regulation 168/2013, as well as all vehicles excluded from the L-category as listed under Article 2.2 of the said Regulation.

    This call for research requests a rapid emissions modelling exercise to be completed for COP26 (11/21) to characterise a truly zero emission transport future, at least for the majority of journeys which are short, in the developed and developing world, currently using motor cars.

    If we place ourselves in the year 2030, and assume we successfully decimated transport emissions, while maintaining our mobility, what does the fleet look like? Which vehicles are we using and for which journeys? How, in emissions terms, did we get there?

    Time and resources

    This study needs to be completed by the end of September in order to allow aligned and targeted public documentation to be formulated, as well as a PR strategy for use in the run-up to COP26, te ensure the conclusions are communicated to Conference delegates, governments and media.

    To bring global credibility, it is felt that whilst the core modelling exercise will need to be undertaken by a small group with experience in the field, it would carry additional credibility if a consortium of authors representing all continents and major (emitting) countries acted as reviewers and co-signatories of this work.

    Deliverables

    The main deliverable for this commission is an interactive spreadsheet model of mobility as it needs to be in 2030 for the Paris Agreement emissions reductions scenario to have been met, primarily through a major modal shift away from the majority of short, slow and local journeys being taken by full-sized ICE vehicles to those journeys completed instead in sub-500 kg vehicles.
    A second deliverable is an accessible, interactive ‘data visualisation’ tool for decision makers, building on the model, that permits them to explore scenarios and self-educate as to why light mobility is the most expedient and least expensive solution to true zero emission personal and light goods transport.

    Are you interested in carrying out the study? Are you interested to review and/or co-sign? Please contact LEVA-EU Manager, Annick Roetynck, tel. +32 475 500 588, annick@leva-eu.com. The deadline for expression of interest is Friday 16th July.

    Funding opportunities

    This research will be part of a wider initiative aimed at encouraging research into different aspects of light, electric vehicles. Also, LEVA-EU will be working to facilitate networking between LEV-researchers. This initiative will create interesting and attractive funding opportunities (sponsorship). If you are already convinced of the need to invest in LEV-research and how research can help your business grow and prosper, please contact Annick Roetynck for further details.

  2. Standardised labels for correct recharging LEVs

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    Source: ACEM – A brand new harmonised set of labels for electric vehicles and charging stations will start to be used throughout Europe as of 20 March this year, in line with the requirements of the EU Directive on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (2014/94/EU).
    As well as appearing on charging stations, the labels will be placed on all newly-produced electric mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles in a clear and visible manner.

    The aim is to help consumers identify the right recharging option for their battery electric vehicles by harmonising labelling across the entire EU.
    In order to assist both consumers and the operators of charging points to understand these new labels, a coalition of European vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure operators and the electricity industry have published an informative brochure. This brochure, in Q&A format, explains the purpose of these labels, their design and in which
    vehicles they will appear.

    The brochure for electric vehicles is now available here: https://bit.ly/2ZZ1hN5

  3. LEVA-EU wants future-proof Driving Licence Directive

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    The European Commission is currently reviewing the Driving Licence Directive. LEVA-EU is seizing the opportunity to call for the exclusion of all vehicles with a maximum speed of 30 km/h from the driving licence obligation. LEVA-EU also calls on the Commission to align the Driving Licence Directive with Regulation 168/2013 and to provide for accurate measures for electric vehicles.

    The EU rules on driving licences have been progressively set up through three Directives. The first was introduced in December 1981, followed by the second Directive of July 1991. Directive 2006/126/EC on driving licences, also known as the 3rd Driving Licence Directive, was adopted in 2006 and became applicable in January 2013. It has been amended in nine instances.

    The 3rd Directive aims at harmonising the rules on driving licences in order to improve road safety, to facilitate the freedom of movement for citizens moving inside the Union and to reduce the possibility of fraud.

    Further harmonization

    Firstly, it prescribes new rules for replacing the different driving licence formats circulating in the EU by a standard European credit card format characterized by stricter security protection features. All existing paper driving licences in circulation must be changed to the new format by 2033 at the latest.

    The 3rd Directive also introduced harmonised validity periods for licences, further harmonization of categories, reinforcement of progressive access to categories (age, dimensions) and harmonised minimum requirements for driving examiners. Furthermore, it established an EU network for the exchange of driving licence information.

    The Directive has never been evaluated since the start of its application. Moreover, Article 14 of the Directive calls for a review of its impact on road safety.

    In view of the above, the Commission has started assessing how well the Directive has performed since its adoption and whether it continues to deliver in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value.

    Joined up thinking

    A public consultation has recently taken place in which LEVA-EU has submitted its position on the review. LEVA-EU acknowledges that road safety may be improved by optimizing the requirements of the Driving Licence Directive (DLD). However, the association believes that it is essential for such effort to be combined with freeing up space for light, electric vehicles (LEVs), considerably improving road infrastructure for LEVs, further improving technological safety solutions on cars, vans and trucks and an EU-wide introduction of a 30 km/h speed limit in urban areas.

    In an appeal for joined up thinking, LEVA-EU also points out that this review must take into account the on-going review of Regulation 168/2013 for the benefit of LEVs as well as the Commission’s considerations on terms of use for LEVs. All review activities need to linked in order to make the Driving Licence Directive future-proof.

    Exclusion 30 km/h

    LEVA-EU further believes it is essential not to make any vehicles with a maximum motor speed of 30 km/h subject to driving licence requirements. The maximum speed limit in current type-approval and driving licence legislation of 25 km/h should be increased to 30 km/h. This limit has become widely introduced in urban areas. An alignment of the speed limit for the vehicles is necessary to allow them to go safely with the traffic flow.

    Light electric vehicles with a maximum speed of 30 km/h can have a major contribution to making mobility sustainable, because they allow to swap polluting cars and vans for LEVS, especially over shorter distances. The introduction of a driving licence for these vehicles would have a dramatic impact on their accessibility and current ease of use. These vehicles are mostly used in areas with a 30 km/h speed limit. Where speed limits are higher, they very often are/or should be able to use separate lanes. As a result, these vehicles mainly operate in fairly safe traffic conditions, which justifies the exclusion from a driving licence. We believe that the 30 km/h speed limit, improved infrastructure, increased space and traffic codes which make motorized traffic subordinate to slow traffic modes in 30 km/h zones, will produce a much bigger safety dividend than a driving licence. Furthermore, sharing systems are becoming increasingly important and also require ease of accessibility and use. A driving licence would be a hindering factor here too without producing considerable safety benefits.

    Provisions for electric vehicles

    Since Regulation 16/8/2013 came about after the introduction of the current DLD, the two pieces of legislation are disjointed. It is essential to align them and to use for L-vehicles the same categories.

    However, it should be taken into account that some categories may accommodate very different vehicles. The reviewed DLD should provide for those differences. One of the most telling examples is category L1e-B “mopeds”, which no longer stands exclusively for conventional mopeds but also for so-called speed pedelecs (with motor assistance up to max. 45 km/h) and potentially other electric bicycle-like vehicles. The Directive must ensure that if Member States impose tests for these vehicles, the tests are specifically designed for these vehicles. Their characteristics and behaviour are very different from conventional mopeds. Also, it is imperative that such tests are carried out with the vehicles concerned and not with conventional mopeds.

    The Directive must be amended to include provisions for adapted tests with electric vehicles in the L-category. It is also important to take into account that the concept of “professional driver” is subject to major changes due to change/growth in deliveries and introduction of e-vehicles. Finally, the Directive must be amended to improve freedom of movement through mutual recognition of equivalence (B-AM, B-A1 and B-tricycle) between Member States with the same equivalence rules.

    The Commission’s proposal for the review is announced for the fourth quarter of 2020.

  4. Is EU Commission to overlook LEVs in Strategy for affordable, accessible, healthy and clean transport?

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    The European Commission is currently collecting feedback on their roadmap in preparation of a Strategy for Sustainable and Smart Mobility. One of the objectives of the Strategy will be a 90% reduction of GHG emissions by 2050.

    Having analysed the roadmap, LEVA-EU concludes that the Commission may well once again focus unilaterally on alternative fuels and charging infrastructure to achieve that objective. In it’s feedback, the trade association for businesses in the LEV-sector, claims a prominent role for LEVs in the Strategy. They offer affordable, accessible, healthy and clean transport, which is exactly what the Commission is looking for. The full text of LEVA-EU’s feedback is below.

    LEVA-EU Feedback on the Commission’s Roadmap for an EU Strategy for Sustainable and Smart Mobility

    LEVA-EU is the only trade association in Europe that works exclusively for light electric vehicles. LEVA-EU currently represents around 50 companies, active in various parts of the LEV-business.

    The term light, electric vehicle (LEVs) includes a range of vehicles with one, two, three or more wheels that offer affordable, accessible, healthy and clean transport. These vehicles are included in the L-category or excluded through Article 2.2 of Regulation 168/2013.

    The objectives for the future Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy include:

    • Increasing the uptake of zero-emission vehicles
    • Making alternative solutions available to the people and businesses
    • Supporting digitalisation and automation
    • Improving connectivity and accessibility

    To what extent are LEVs at the forefront of the Commission’s mind in achieving these objectives?

    And yet, COVID-19 has clearly shown to what extent LEVs effectively offer a solution for sustainable transport. Thousands of cities throughout Europe, literally gave way, not only to pedestrians and cyclists but also to electric bicycles, electric cargo bikes, e-scooters, electric mopeds, light electric three and four-wheeled vehicles: affordable, accessible, healthy and clean transport.

    And yet, the EU and its member states either ignore or marginalize LEVs, or both. With the UK and the Netherlands, we only quote 2 examples of countries that are still not allowing e-scooters on public roads. In other member states, millions of citizens use them for short trips … trips, a large percentage of which previously would have been done by car. Fifty percent of all car trips in the EU are less than 5 km and 30 percent even less than 3 km. And still, the Commission is focussing to a very large extent on alternative fuels and on charging infrastructure, in other words on cars. In the meantime, millions of people have taken up commuting by e-scooter, e-bike, speed pedelec, … whilst a growing number of businesses deliver their goods and services by electric cargo bikes.

    The growing shortage of road space for pedestrians, bicycles and LEVs stirs up a public and political debate, not about pushing back big, polluting, noisy, dangerous, expensive vehicles and giving back space to affordable, accessible, healthy and clean travel. The debate is about how to continue to squeeze all that sustainable transport onto little strips on the side of the road.

    LEVs do not need alternative fuels, nor charging infrastructure. They all work on small amounts of electricity, which they can get from just plugging them into any power point. LEVs first and foremost need the right regulatory framework. Their uptake is very seriously hampered by European and national regulatory bottlenecks, which the Commission refuses to solve.

    The roadmap promises to set the right regulatory and non-regulatory framework for a leading European transport industry, both in clean and connected mobility. The plea for taking LEVs out of the legislative framework for ICE mopeds and motorcycles to give them their own accurate framework is now more than 20 years old. The LEV market still consists for 95% of electric bicycles with pedal assistance up to 25 km/h and 250W. These electric bicycles are the only LEVs to enjoy their own regulatory and non-regulatory framework. The market needs new solutions, a wider variety of vehicles but Regulation 168/2013 remains untouched, causing no type-approvals in L1e-A, huge constraints for electric cargo-bikes and speed pedelecs and many people with physical impairments being denied access to electric bicycles.

    Furthermore, LEVs need exchange of good practice, research and regulatory support for:

    • sufficient and safe on and off-road infrastructure for LEVs
    • the modernisation and update of national traffic codes, which today or still based on outdated vehicle concepts
    • the integration of LEVs in MaaS
    • the development of the most effective fiscal incentives
    • the integration of LEVs as full-fledged transport solution in public procurement

    Under the title “Problem the initiative aims to tackle” the Commission writes: “Investments in sustainable alternative fuels and clean technologies as well as renewals of transport fleets by public authorities and companies are essential to achieve the transition that is needed.”

    This clearly shows the lack of awareness among the Commission as to the potential of LEVs in “delivering a 90% reduction in transport-related greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to support the EU’s aim to become the first climate neutral continent.”

    LEVA-EU herewith calls upon the Commission to study light, electric vehicles, to research their potential for providing affordable, accessible, healthy and clean transport and to start a dialogue with LEV-businesses and users.

    If the future Mobility Strategy aims at giving LEVs a primary role, the citizens in the European Union will enjoy, next to affordable, accessible, healthy and clean transport, a wealth of additional benefits: congestion reduction, improvement of public health, safer transport that remains available during pandemic crises, huge savings on external costs in exchange of huge external benefits, creation of green jobs whilst greening the economy. LEVA-EU calls upon the Commission to give LEVs a prominent role in the Strategy since they will play a key role in delivering the 90% less GHG emissions.

    A Strategy that aims at establishing affordable, accessible, healthy and clean transport, cannot afford to ignore and overlook means of transport, which already are affordable, accessible, healthy and clean. LEVA-EU is at the Commission’s disposal for any further details on LEVs and for assisting in liaising with the LEV community.

    Photo by Gemma Evans on Unsplash

  5. LEVA-EU sends open letter to EU Commission, Council & EP Presidents

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    Gent, 12 May 2020

    Open Letter to:
    – the President of the European Commission, Mrs von der Leyen
    – the President of the European Council, Mr Michel
    – the President of the European Parliament, Mr Sassoli

    Dear Mrs von der Leyen, Mr Michel and Mr Sassoli,

    LEVA-EU is the European trade association for businesses in the light electric vehicle (LEV)-sector. The term  LEV covers all electric vehicles in and excluded from the L-category, i.e. e-scooters, e-bikes, speed pedelecs, electric mopeds and motorcycles, etc..

    LEVA-EU herewith officially requests the Presidents of the European Commission, Council and Parliament to eliminate legal bottlenecks and to put LEVs at the heart of Green Deal, with a view to encouraging sustainable mobility as we are coming out of the Corona crisis.

    Almost 300,000 lives have been lost to COVID-19. We all agree that each one of those deaths is one too many. And yet, every year, we allow for 4.2 million people to die from air pollution. There appears to be a worldwide consensus that this is a price worth paying to preserve our economies and living standards. It took COVID-19 to show how life can be without that pollution: not only cleaner and healthier (in a way) but also quieter, more safe, greener, brighter, … The share of transport in that turnaround can hardly be underestimated.

    At all levels, policymakers are now faced with the choice between going back to “business as usual” or a fundamental change. It is once again the cities that are the pioneers in encouraging their citizens and businesses to make that fundamental change. A growing peloton of European cities decides to safeguard and sometimes even further expand the freed up space to allow pedestrians, cyclists and users of light, electric vehicles (LEVs) such as e-bikes, electric cargo bikes, e-scooters, etc. to keep a safe distance.

    When we now read the Green Deal, published before the Corona-crisis, the chapter on transport sounds very much overtaken by reality. Why should we wait until 2030 to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% and until 2050 to achieve climate neutrality? In October 2019, the European Environment Agency (EEA) stated: “Cutting air pollution in Europe would prevent early deaths, improve productivity and curb climate change.” How can a decision to wait until 2050, thus killing millions more, be justified, especially since the Corona crisis has shown that we are able to cut air pollution.

    That is why LEVA-EU calls upon the European Commission, Parliament and Council to support the European cities and their citizens by taking two simple, concrete measures.

    First, before the Corona crisis, the EEA already stated: “Shifting to walking, cycling and public transport is crucial for Europe to meet long-term sustainability goals and policy objectives under the EU Green Deal.” The Corona crisis has shown that the willingness to travel in a sustainable way is far beyond political expectations. In the European Green Deal, the Commission expresses “its intention to tackle all transport emission sources and explains that achieving sustainable transport means providing users with more affordable, accessible, healthier and cleaner alternatives to their current mobility habits.”

    Despite this statement, the Commission has not put forward shifting to walking, cycling, LEVs and public transport as a key element of the Green Deal. LEVA-EU calls upon the Commission and all European institutions to stop ignoring the invaluable EEA advice. We urge the Commission to include that shift as a key element in both the Green Deal Communication and in the announced strategy for sustainable and smart mobility.

    Second, the Commission has announced adaptations of existing legislation, i.e. the AFID and the TEN-T Regulation. We urge the Commission to add the revision of Regulation 168/2013 to this programme. A fast and fundamental revision of this Regulation on the type-approval for L-category vehicles is crucial to remove the many legal bottlenecks, which are currently severely obstructing the deployment of LEVs.

    Last February, at a symposium organized by LEVA-EU and the Belgian project 365SNEL, LEV-manufacturers presented the Commission with a large variety of legal and regulatory problems preventing them from fully exploiting the potential of LEVs. The 365SNEL project, funded by the Flemish Environmental Department, showed that after extensive test riding, 20% of the participants swapped their car for a speed pedelec for commuting.

    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 the L-category. So, most other light electric vehicles are included in technical legislation, which has originally been written for internal combustion engine mopeds and motorcycles.

    The legislation has 1,036 pages of text, to a large extent dedicated to emissions, noise and other technical aspects which are totally irrelevant for light electric vehicles. Manufacturers must figure out which of these 1,036 pages are applicable to, for instance, their speed pedelecs or their E-cargo bikes with more than 250W. And if they manage that all, they then have to go through a totally inaccurate type-approval procedure, which costs at least four times more than what the Commission predicted in their impact assessment before drafting Regulation 168/2013.

    The 365SNEL research has shown that the biggest obstacle to getting more people to consider LEVs is still high prices, yet this price is a direct result of extremely complicated, inaccurate European technical rules.

    Regulation 168/2013 is a significant barrier to European SMEs and choking growth at a key time when the popularity and profile of LEVs as a sustainable form of transport, especially in these COVID-19 times, is set to soar. Europe must not hold back innovation and growth in this sector.

    Categorizing LEVs as mopeds also presents considerable safety issues for riders. Most speed pedelecs for instance are unable to achieve their maximum speed limit of 45 km/h, but rather achieve a maximum cruising speed of 30-35 km/h. Yet, classing them as mopeds forces them off cycle lanes and onto roads among traffic achieving speeds of at least 50km/h. As a result, riders are forced to ride in dangerous conditions, because the speed difference between them and other means of transport is often life-threatening. This is yet another reason for a fundamental review of Regulation 168/2013.

    Last year, an estimated three million e-bikes were sold in the European Union. About 98 per cent of these were e-bikes with pedal assistance up to 25 km/h and 250W, which shows the extent to which the technical legislation for L-category obstructs the development of new types of E-bikes and other LEVs.

    The LEV market holds an exciting future for cities and towns across Europe, but this potential will be lost if we do not make urgent and fundamental alterations to current legislation. LEVA-EU has presented the Commission with a well-founded proposal for legislative change. We would be very pleased to further explain and discuss this proposal.

    Finally, LEVA-EU wishes to rephrase the EEA statement: “Shifting to walking, cycling, light, electric vehicles and public transport is a duty for Europe to meet long-term sustainability goals and policy objectives under the EU Green Deal, in honour of all COVID-19 and air pollution victims.”

    Yours Sincerely,

    Annick Roetynck,
    LEVA-EU Manager

  6. ETSC Calls for Urgent Action to Tackle Deaths of Pedestrians and (E)-Cyclists

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    Deaths of (e)cyclists in the EU have fallen eight times more slowly than deaths of motor vehicle occupants since 2010, according to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), authors of a new report. (1)  ETSC is calling for urgent action to ensure that sustainable modes of transport such as walking and cycling, are made much safer.

    The latest figures show that there were at least 51,300 pedestrians and 19,450 (e)cyclists killed on EU roads between 2010 and 2018.  The researchers found that while deaths among motorised vehicle occupants fell by, on average, 3.1% a year over the period, deaths among cyclists averaged only a 0.4% annual reduction – eight times slower.

    The slow decline in (e)cyclist deaths reflects both an increase in levels of cycling in several EU countries, but also the failure by the EU, many governments, local authorities and motor vehicle manufacturers to invest more heavily in measures to protect vulnerable road users.

    Deaths among pedestrians and (e)cyclists, the most vulnerable road users, accounted for 29% of all recorded road deaths across the EU in 2018. (2)

    99% of pedestrian deaths, and 83% of (e)cyclist deaths recorded are as a consequence of an impact with a motor vehicle. (3) These groups are, by far, the least likely to harm other road users.

    The research revealed that half of all (e)cyclists and pedestrians that die on EU roads are over the age of 65.  Older people are more fragile and less able to recover from serious injuries.  However, Europe’s aging population needs to stay active and mobile for reasons of health and wellbeing.  ETSC says the challenge is how to improve safety while walking or cycling, particularly for high-risk groups such as the elderly and children.

    The report recommends applying a hierarchy for urban planning that prioritises walking, (e)cycling and public transport over private car use, as well as 30 km/h limits supported by traffic calming infrastructure and by enforcement in areas with high levels of walking and cycling.

    The authors are also calling on the EU to channel funds into road safety improvements such as the infrastructure modifications needed to support safer city streets and to come forward with a strategy on safe active mobility.

    ETSC also wants to see improved data collection because many deaths and serious injuries of cyclists and pedestrians still go unrecorded, as well as Key Performance Indicators to track progress across the EU on improving safety for these groups.

    1. How safe is walking and cycling in Europe? etsc.eu/pinflash38
    2. 21% of road deaths are pedestrians, 8% are (e)cyclists, reflecting the much higher numbers of people walking
    3. When a person walking falls down and dies, it is not considered as a road death. A cyclist that crashes into an obstacle and dies may also not be counted as a road death, particularly if the police are not called to the scene.

    Photo credit: ETSC

    Find more information @ https://etsc.eu/urgent-action-needed-to-tackle-deaths-of-pedestrians-and-cyclists/

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