2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 15:44
Electric mobility is only possible with electricity from renewable energies. However, there are still many obstacles to overcome on the way to emission-free mobility.
The oil reserves are decreasing faster and faster, the fuel prices are rising and the emission of the greenhouse gas CO2 has to be reduced. Therefore, in the future, traffic will have to rely on electricity as a drive source. According to plans by the federal government, one million electric cars should roll on Germany's roads in ten years. Lawyers at the University of Würzburg have investigated how this ambitious goal can be achieved.
Renewable energy needed
One million electric vehicles, that sounds very environmentally friendly. But it doesn't have to be, because it depends on where these vehicles get their electricity from. If the electric cars run on electricity from coal-fired power plants, the environmental balance sheet could even be worse than with a pure combustion engine, according to Thorsten Müller, head of the research center. That is why these vehicles would have to be powered 100 percent from renewable energies. And this electricity must be produced in addition to the electricity that is already available today.
Another difficulty: "According to the economists' calculations, an electric vehicle currently costs around EUR 20,000 more than a conventionally powered car," said Müller. In order to make the switch attractive to potential buyers, the legislature must create incentives.
Incentive systems necessary
The exemption of electric cars from VAT would noticeably relieve buyers. However, this is not compatible with EU law, explain the specialists in environmental energy law. Only a reduced tax rate would be possible, as was recently introduced for hotel accommodation.
According to the lawyers, a further incentive is the direct financial support of the buyers of electric vehicles. That is why they propose to significantly increase the funding amount of 500 million euros provided for in the national development plan and thus to set up a "market incentive program for vehicle purchases staggered according to the different vehicle classes". In addition, the legislature must prescribe a uniform standard for charging stations so that the search for a suitable "filling station" does not interfere with the fun of emission-free driving. (mid)
