14 DAY TRIAL // As the automotive industry is offering more and more electric vehicles and consumers seem to be interested in this type of cars, the necessity of a standard set of requirements related to the charging process popped on the European automobile manufacturers’ to-do list.
The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) has recently announced a joint proposal that will enable the use of one type of plug independent of the car make, electricity provider or country.
ACEA claims that a variety of solutions is currently used, leading to a fragmentation of the market across Europe and abroad.
“This is a major step towards the broader introduction of electrically-chargeable vehicles in Europe and paves the way for a harmonised solution around the globe,” said Ivan Hodac, Secretary General of ACEA, the automobile manufacturers’ trade association.
“We call on the European Commission, the standardisation bodies and the infrastructure providers to adopt these recommendations and to clear remaining issues as soon as possible,” he continued.
Once the standard is approved, vehicle manufacturers will start integrating the uniform application in their production cycles. The auto industry advocates the full implementation for new vehicle types from 2017.
The market share for electrically-chargeable vehicles is projected to be in the range of 3 to 10% of new sales by 2020 to 2025.
Naturally, there will be countless benefits brought by the uniform system of EV charging: from the auto industry, to the consumer, and the infrastructure provider.
Taken separately, consumers will find a unique EU-wide solution, at reduced cost and fulfilling all safety requirements.
Also, infrastructure providers are provided a clear indication about future developments and investment planning.
Finally, OEMs will be able to reduce costs and progress more quickly on the market uptake of electrically chargeable vehicles.
“Standardisation provides predictability to investors; it enables economy of scale and reduces costs. We have also ensured a solution that meets the highest safety standards and is easy to use,” added Hodac.
The ACEA members are BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, FIAT S.p.A., Ford of Europe, General Motors Europe, Jaguar Land Rover, MAN Truck & Bus, Porsche, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault Group, Scania, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars and Volvo Group.