EVs on Track to Cut EU CO2 Emissions by 20 Million Tonnes This Year, But Transport Still the Biggest Polluter

According to an analysis conducted by the advocacy organization Transport & Environment (T&E), a rise in the adoption of electric vehicles will result in a reduction of 20 million tonnes of CO2 for Europe this year.

This is comparable to the emissions from eight coal-fired power plants and signifies one encouraging development in an industry that has traditionally been challenging to decarbonize.

Transportation is the sole sector that has seen an increase in emissions since 1990, trailing behind industry, power generation, and construction sectors, accounting for approximately a third Regarding EU pollution, T&E’s most recent report on the state of European transportation has been released. report shows that emissions have started to decrease.

"The EU's environmental policies are now having an impact. With the shift towards electric vehicles, we're witnessing a significant reduction in transportation-related emissions," states William Todds, who serves as the executive director of T&E.

In 2024, Europe's transportation industry emitted 1.05 billion tons of CO2, which is a reduction from the 1.1 billion tons recorded in 2019—a decline of 5%. This improvement can primarily be attributed to the significant increase in the adoption of electric vehicles, thereby displacing gasoline and diesel-powered options.

Now is not the time to retract environmental initiatives," asserts Todts. "To ensure the continent’s prosperity and security, it is crucial to intensify our efforts.

Effective environmental measures have led to a significant increase in electric vehicle adoption.

Automobiles are the leading transportation-related polluters, accounting for 450 megatonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions annually, which constitutes 13 percent of the European Union's overall emissions.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are already three times more environmentally friendly than petrol cars, and this advantage will increase as the electricity powering them becomes cleaner, according to T&E.

The advocacy organization forecasts that there will be 8.8 million battery electric vehicles on European roads this year, indicating that one out of every five newly purchased cars in the EU will emit no exhaust fumes.

The report attributes much of this advancement primarily to the European Union's CO₂ regulations for vehicles. These guidelines offered clarity for automotive manufacturers leading up to the 2025 objective. As companies have committed resources to adjust their assembly processes toward electric vehicles, and as battery costs continue to decrease, we can anticipate an increased availability of more cost-effective and widely available models by 2025.

Is the EU equipped with sufficient charging stations for all its electric vehicles?

Many people still view insufficient charging stations as a barrier to purchasing electric vehicles; however, T&E analysis indicates that the infrastructure has kept up with the increase in battery electric vehicle adoption.

Under the EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), each country has annual targets based on a ratio of total charging power output and the number of electric cars on the road. The bloc’s 2025 target was exceeded back in 2022, and there are now more than 1,100 charge points .

Across major roadways, 11 nations have achieved the European Union’s objective of installing charging stations at intervals not exceeding 60 kilometers. Additionally, the AFIR is accelerating the deployment of electric vehicle charging facilities within urban areas, with cities like Oslo, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Brussels, and Ljubljana setting exemplary standards in this area.

Vehicle production emissions 'the next frontier' according to T&E

Electric vehicles aren't the definitive solution to Europe's widespread issue. transport problem , however.

Firstly, their manufacturing process remains quite environmentally unfriendly. Given that approximately 10 million new cars are sold annually, the production of these electric vehicles (not including batteries) contributes roughly 50 megatons of CO2 emissions.

According to T&E, batteries, aluminum, and steel are the primary sources of emissions that should be addressed. The organization is advocating for increased utilization of eco-friendly and recycled steel.

Aircraft emissions are hindering attempts to make transportation more eco-friendly.

Even with advancements on European roadways, the researchers caution that rising air pollution is offsetting attempts to reduce transportation-related emissions.

Europe’s airlines emitted 143 million tons of CO₂ last year, an increase of almost 10 percent from 2023.

The emissions from Europe's maritime activities continue to be notably high at 195 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, according to the report, since these sectors heavily depend on fossil fuels.

However, with shipping now incorporated into the EU’s carbon trading system ( ETS Combined, both sectors are expected to generate €5 billion in revenue in 2024, as estimated by T&E.

This indicates that these funds can help close the cost difference between green e-fuels and conventional fossil fuels, which is crucial for advancing efforts in climate action as well as enhancing energy security.

" Europe is gradually freeing itself from its reliance on oil, yet we continue to spend hundreds of billions on imports from foreign nations," states Todts.

Imports of fossil fuels continue to be the primary energy supply for transportation, accounting for 96 percent of Europe's crude oil and 90 percent of its natural gas originating from foreign sources in 2023. These supplies frequently come from authoritarian governments and at significant cost.