In today's economic environment, the development of electric mobility remains a priority. This is due to consumers’ growing environmental awareness, natural and climatic conditions, and technological advances. Changes in the automotive market are presenting opportunities and challenges for a number of companies.

Let's start with statistics

According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, European Union sales of battery electric vehicles increased in the second quarter of this year to account for 9.9% of all passenger car registrations. The share of hybrid cars was 8.7%, compared to 8.4% in the second quarter of 2021, despite a decline in the number of units sold. During the same period, the number of cars with gasoline and diesel engines decreased significantly to account fo 55.8% of the market.

Over the same period, the number of registered battery electric vehicles (BEV) in the EU increased by 11.1%. Spain and France reported double-digit BEV market share gains of +22.0% and +18.6%, respectively. In turn, Italy and Germany recorded losses of -19.6% and -0.5%.

The number of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the market has increased, despite a double-digit drop in sales by -12.5%. The exception is Spain (+11.3%).

Sales of hybrid electric vehicles in the European Union decreased by 2.2% in the second quarter of the year. However, due to a significant decline in sales of cars with traditional engines, the share of hybrid electric vehicles increased by 22.6% overall. The four largest EU markets showed contradictory results. An upward trend was recorded in France and Spain (+7.2% and +2.7%, respectively), while a downward trend was observed in Italy and Germany (-9.3% and -6.5%).

The challenges continue

Roads used by electric, hydrogen, or gas-powered vehicles must be classified as so-called "clean transport zones.” In many cases, however, legislation is yet to be developed to regulate this issue. Today, many essential goods are transported by road, and the demand for such services continues to grow. Fleet owners, truck manufacturers, and energy suppliers are increasingly focusing on decarbonizing the road transportation sector. Even so, reducing CO2 emissions remains quite a challenge.

For electric mobility to become widely viable, hydrogen fuel cell technology and workers’ related competencies must both improve in this industry. Roaming solutions must also be introduced to support public charging station network infrastructure.

The logistics sector plays a key role in today’s economy and has a significant impact on global climate change. To help protect the environment and reduce the industry’s carbon footprint, AsstrA has established a list of sustainability goals to achieve by 2030.

"The transport industry has a significant impact on the environment. Taking into account the needs of customers and the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN, we are striving to reduce our CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030.” says Dmitri Krolov, Sustainable Development Manager at AsstrA. “This goal is closely integrated with our economic and social development plans. To achieve it, we are:

• emphasizing environmentally friendly transport modes,

• using vehicles with the highest ecological ratings,

• preferring suppliers with trucks running on alternative fuels,

• implementing IT solutions that reduce CO2 emissions, and

• training staff on best practices for environmental protection.”