Source: European Parliament
Low temperatures affect the range of electrified vehicles, as a consequence of a reduced efficiency of the battery and also due to the additional energy consumption from auxiliaries (e.g. thermal comfort systems).
To be able to quantify and assess the corresponding impact, the Commission has chaired a United Nations (UN) task force developing a harmonised test procedure for the accurate determination of the electric range in low temperature conditions.
This procedure has been introduced as a new annex to UN Global Technical Regulation (GTR) No 15[1] and will be transposed into the Euro 7[2] implementing legislation.
It is expected that improved consumer information will support the adoption of enhanced battery technology. In parallel, battery research and innovation on new, more robust battery generations is being undertaken in the co-programmed partnership BATT4EU under Horizon Europe[3].
Regarding the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, Regulation (EU) 2023/1804[4] sets mandatory targets for recharging infrastructure for Member States in relation to the electric fleet size and along the trans-European transport (TEN-T) road network.
The regulation does not define specific rules or targets on a regional or local level where Member States or regional authorities are better placed to determine expected demand and the need for recharging points at specific locations.
The Commission supports the deployment of recharging infrastructure through various programmes, such as the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Facility (AFIF)[5] and the Recovery and Resilience Facility[6] and is preparing for the Social Climate Fund[7] and the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan[8] with additional funds.
- [1] The Worldwide harmonised Light vehicles Test Procedures (WLTP) https://unece.org/transport/documents/2021/01/standards/addendum-15-united-nations-global-technical-regulation-no-15
- [2] Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 on type-approval of motor vehicles and engines and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles, with respect to their emissions and battery durability (Euro 7) (OJ L, 2024/1257, 8.5.2024), ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1257/oj
- [3] https://bepassociation.eu/
- [4] Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, and repealing Directive 2014/94/EU, OJ L 234, 22.9.2023, p. 1-47.
- [5] https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/funding-opportunities/calls-proposals/cef-transport-alternative-fuels-infrastructure-facility-afif-call-proposal_en
- [6] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02021R0241-20240301
- [7] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02023R0955-20240630
- [8] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0045