Electric and alternate-powered motorcycles in the EU
By ACEM Secretary General Antonio Perlot
An alternative offer with considerable advantages
IN recent years, the motorcycle industry has started developing new electrically and hydrogen-powered models, as well as hybrid vehicles. They emit little or no carbon monoxide and dioxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides or particulate matter; operate in a smoother manner and consequently have very low sound emissions.
From the user’s point of view, these electric vehicles can be easily charged at home or work, without special charging infrastructure.
Moreover, mopeds, motorcycles and quadricycles running on these ‘alternative fuels’ have substantially lower prices than electric cars, which makes them potentially affordable to a wider range of people, and as a result of their reduced weight and mass, they are a perfect candidate for electrification.
Also, they can take full advantage of the key features of mobility in urban environments: trips in high-traffic density zones, short travelling distances, and limited availability of parking spaces.
… but still very much a niche market
In spite of these comparative advantages, market update remains limited.
According to ACEM’s estimations, only between 1% and 2% of all L-category vehicles (i.e. powered-two and three- wheelers and quadricycles) registered in Europe in 2014 were electric models. It is true that some countries are witnessing an increase in the number of electric vehicles. In the Netherlands, for example, registrations went up from 4,090 units in 2010 to 5,123 units in 2014. In Spain, registered vehicles increased from 165 in 2010 to 1,053 in 2014.
Notwithstanding this, the absolute figures remain at niche levels for now. The fact that some national administrations do not yet distinguish between internal combustion engine and electric engine vehicles in their official statistics is symptomatic of the situation in this segment of the market.
The key barrier to market uptake: charging infrastructure
According to the European Commission, limited charging infrastructure is a major limiting factor in the large scale adoption of electric vehicles, in particular for cars. This is one of the reasons why in 2013, the Commission proposed the Clean Power for Transport package with very ambitious objectives for charging points all over the EU to be achieved by 2020.
However, probably as a result of the delicate situation of public finances in many European countries, the European Transport Ministers rejected the principle of binding targets and proposed a more flexible framework without quantitative objectives. In any case, for the European Commission this issue is still on the table, as its recent Communication on an Energy Union suggests.
The importance of common standards
Another important area of work is harmonisation. Experts from the public and private sectors working together at CEN-CENELEC, the European body responsible for technical standardisation, have defined a standard to harmonise plug-ins for electric L-category vehicles. Although not legally binding yet, this new standard for type 3A plugs sent a clear signal to economic operators.
The European Commission should certainly consider making this standard mandatory through its inclusion in the Directive on the Deployment of Alternative Fuels Infrastructure. This would facilitate the free movement of products within the EU internal market and would increase their acceptance among consumers, providing further possibilities for charging in public spaces.
Creating the adequate fiscal environment
It is also important to remember that a sensitive combination of fiscal and tax incentives would also be required in order to create an adequate environment for the uptake of vehicles running on alternative fuels.
Although some European governments have launched rounds of subsidies to incentivise sales of low or zero-emissions vehicles, powered-two and three wheelers are not always eligible.
This is why in several European countries there is still an unequal playing field between electric mopeds, motorcycles and quadricycles, and other electric means of transport such as cars or buses.
Notwithstanding this, in some countries the situation is starting to change. In the UK, for example, our colleagues from the MCIA have successfully made the case for electric motorcycles and scooters to qualify for subsidies under a new scheme announced by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).
Unlocking the potential of innovation
Co-operative, publicly funded research can be a valuable complement to in-house industry research in the area of e-mobility. In this respect, the European Green Vehicles Initiative (EGVI), a public private partnership funded by both the European Commission and industry, is being instrumental in promoting “smart, green and integrated transport” in Europe.
A concrete example of this: earlier this year, the European Commission decided to allocate €5-8m to the RESOLVE project, an initiative, led by ACEM manufacturers KTM and Piaggio, which will develop new prototypes of vehicles with innovative powertrains.
Projects like RESOLVE illustrate the importance of creating synergies between partners and are an excellent example of co-operation between industry and policy makers. Additional research would be needed in different areas, which would greatly benefit from further European support. And this is one of the key topics we will discuss during our next 2015 annual conference in Brussels.
Summing up…
The models that the motorcycle industry has launched onto the European market, as well as those under development, will certainly contribute to transforming our transport systems and to improving their environmental footprint.
However, whether the share of electric vehicles increases or not will depend mostly on two elements: consumers’ choices and the policies that will be put in place by decision makers.
For the time being, and quite likely for years to come, internal combustion engines will continue to play an important role in transportation.
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