As of: 19.08.2009

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Summary

After well over 100 years of development of the combustion engine electric mobility marks the beginning of a new technological era in the traffic sector. Electrification of drives is a major factor for the mobility of the future. It provides the opportunity to reduce dependence on oil, minimise emissions and facilitate the integration of vehicles into a multimodal traffic system.

Even though the combustion engine will continue to play a significant role in transport for the foreseeable future and further enhancements of its efficiency and the use of biogenic fuels have to remain part of the transport policy agenda, it is vital to start shaping the gradual transition towards new efficiency technologies today. In order to stand its ground in international competition, Germany must become a lead market for electric mobility and maintain its cutting edge in science and in the automotive sector and related supplier industries.

The goal of the National Development Plan for Electric Mobility is to advance research and development, market preparation for and introduction of batterypowered vehicles in Germany. The measures adopted by the Federal Government in its economic stimulus package II will serve as catalysts. They must be applied on a long-term basis and adapted to technological progress.

The technological foundations of electric drives, energy storage systems and grid infrastructure have already been developed. However, there is still a need for further research, optimisation and interlinking at many points in the value-added chain. In particular, the development of storage batteries as a key technology requires increased efforts in order to maintain and strengthen global competitiveness of the German automotive industry.

Electric mobility could be introduced in the short term through demonstration projects and field trials. The first plug-in hybrid vehicles or purely electric vehicles could be ready for the market within a few years. Infrastructure for charging batteries must be established in a step-by-step process, focussing on the local and regional level first. Prior to general market introduction improvements must be made on cost structures and the suitability of vehicles for everyday use. In view of current technological and economic challenges, it will probably take more than a decade for electric vehicles to reach a significant market share. With its policy the Federal Government aims at achieving a number of one million electric vehicles on German roads by 2020.

Germany’s National Development Plan for Electric Mobility is based on a strong and broad foundation. In order to advance more rapidly on the path described above, the public sector and above all industry need to step up their efforts. The BDEW (Federal Association of the Energy and Water Sectors), VDA (German Automobile Industry Association) and ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association) only recently acknowledged their responsibilities. As a prerequisite for the large-scale introduction of electric vehicles in the years to come, appropriate political, regulatory, technical and infrastructural frameworks have to be created. For example, open European standards, which will also serve as ambitious global benchmarks, are necessary to ensure interoperability, safety and acceptance. In the framework of the National Development Plan for Electric Mobility the Federal Government will contribute to this process over the next 10 years. In addition to regulatory measures to support in particular progress in the areas of battery technology, grid integration and market preparation and introduction, the launch of a market incentive programme and its form are currently being reviewed. If further activities are to be carried out by the Federal Government, they will be subject to the relevant financial planning and political decisions in the next legislative term.

In general, consideration must be given to the fact that electric vehicles will only succeed if the total costs, including infrastructure costs, develop in such a way as to ensure that no permanent subsidies will be required for these vehicles to be competitive.

Implementation of the National Development Plan for Electric Mobility therefore requires close coordination between all players from the very beginning. A National Platform on Electric Mobility should be created for this purpose, comprising representatives from politics, industry and science, municipalities and consumers and allowing for the establishment of working groups with specific tasks.

By promoting electric mobility the Federal Government continues to pursue its strategy of moving away from oil. In conjunction with the expansion of renewable energies, electric mobility provides an important contribution to reaching the Federal Government’s climate protection targets, as specified in the Integrated Energy and Climate Programme (IEKP). It is also important to consider electric mobility in the context of the government’s Fuel Strategy and High-Tech Strategy (HTS). Moreover, it can also pave the way for a new mobility culture and modern urban and spatial planning.

Electric mobility constitutes a paradigm shift for the transport and energy sectors. It is up to us today to chart the right course for the mobility of the future and to address and solve open questions and challenges in a continuous development process.