How can current German and EU policies be improved to enhance the reduction of CO2 emissions of road transport? Revising policies on electric vehicles informed by stakeholder and technical assessments

Abstract

The electrification of the car fleet is an essential transformation to a meaningful reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in road transport. This has been a major goal of European transport policies, but other actions can also enhance the effectiveness of EVs to reduce emissions. In this paper we analyse four key European and German transport policies and assess how these could be improved to increase their potential to reduce emissions. Using iterative feedback from 12 interviews across various stakeholder groups, we have developed proposals for revised policies on electric vehicles. The results show that current policies in the EU and Germany are not making use of the full environmental potential of EVs, because they do not differentiate sufficiently between different EVs, and have been designed for the era of combustion vehicles. We suggest that the introduction of a new Bonus-Malus Registration Scheme and the overhaul of the existing Road Tax System are the most promising changes both in terms of their potential to reduce emissions and their likelihood of adoption.