The climate target does not depend only on electric vehicles: what specialists say, what other technologies exist

Electric vehicles are not the only effective way to reduce carbon emissions from the car industry, said the head of the Italian car lobby.

Other technologies could help decarbonise the industry, meeting the same emissions targets, while maintaining know-how and jobs in Italy, said Paolo Scudieri, president of the car industry association ANFIA.

“I am referring to the tangible contribution that biofuels and synthetic fuels can make, as well as hydrogen,” Scudieri said at the opening of ANFIA’s public meeting, adding that the Italian car industry was already investing heavily in hydrogen.

Biofuels and synthetic fuels, known as e-fuels, are being developed to allow modified versions of combustion engines to be used in the future, rather than a wholesale change in battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Scudieri said that developing exclusively BEV technology, currently dominated by Asian producers, would jeopardize about 73,000 jobs in Italy in the coming years, which will not be offset by about 6,000 new jobs that are expected to be created by electric mobility.

There are other technologies

He added that about 450 car parts manufacturers in Italy, out of a total of 2,200, are in danger of disappearing because they have not yet begun to move production to electrical technology.

The European Commission has proposed a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2035 for industry. The target, which is part of a wider package of climate change policies launched last year, would make it impossible to sell new fossil fuel vehicles in the bloc of 27 countries.

The European Parliament will hold a debate next week on a number of climate policies, including a plan to effectively ban combustion engines by 2035.

Scudieri said there was no predominant position among the various political groups in the European Parliament.

“Every vote will count and my wish is for our MEPs to vote, taking into account the interests of the country,” he said.