Germany - Alternative Energy: Combustion engine ban puts 600,000 German jobs at risk says controversial Ifo report

Alternative Enery Car Industry - a win-win situation

More than 600,000 jobs could be at risk in Germany from a potential ban on combustion engine cars by 2030, the Ifo economic institute said in a study commissioned by Germany's VDA car industry lobby.

Pollution from cars, including those with diesel engines, has become a sensitive subject in Germany since Volkswagen admitted to systematic cheating of emissions tests to mask levels of health threatening nitrogen oxides.

Cities such as Munich and Stuttgart are looking at banning older diesel cars, whose emissions they blame for causing an increase in respiratory diseases.

The Ifo study, published on Tuesday, said a switch to sales of zero-emission cars would threaten 426,000 car manufacturing jobs, with the rest coming from related industries, such as suppliers.

Two months before Germany's national elections, the government faces growing pressure to reduce emissions or face complete bans on diesel cars in some cities. Representatives of federal and regional governments will meet with carmakers on Aug. 2 to find ways to curb diesel-related pollution

Note EU-Digest: the study by the IFO is somewhat controversial, and one could even call it questionable, specially when it comes to the potential employment loss. Switching from combustion cars to other environmentally friendly automobiles, like electric or hydrogen powered cars, will certainly not cause a drop in the production of cars. To the contrary,it might even increase employment in the automobile industry, and most of all be a win-win when it comes to cleaning up the environment. 

Read more: Combustion engine ban puts 600,000 German jobs at risk: Ifo

EU Car Industry Goes Electric and prices are dropping: Netherlands looks to ban all non-electric cars by 2025 - by S. Hinckley

VW E-GOLF Electric

By 2025, the Netherlands may only allow electric vehicles on the road.

A majority of elected officials in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament, supported a motion proposed by the Labor Party (PvdA) to ban all diesel and petroleum cars from the Dutch market starting in 2025. If enacted, this proposal would allow existing fossil fuel-powered cars to stay on the road until they died, but when it comes to new sales, only electric cars would be permitted.

"We are ambitious, perhaps other parties are less so," PvdA leader Diederik Samsom told the local NL Times.

Renault Zoe  - Electric

While it is still unclear whether or not the motion will pass, some electric enthusiasts see the proposal as progress all the same. This law would not only affect Dutch drivers, but would also require more electric vehicle output from car manufacturers, and potentially destigmatize electric vehicles as a niche purchase.

"One big thing that's preventing more people from buying [electric cars] is awareness – people just don't know about them," Joel Levin, executive director of Plug In America, tells The Christian Science Monitor in a phone interview Thursday. "It is a pretty big shift for how you think about your car."

Fiat -500 Electric

But this proposal doesn't mean that the Netherlands is a model of energy efficiency – yet. Rather, it's one of the most carbon-intensive countries in the European Union, according to a 2015 study by Deloitte. Natural gas and petroleum make up the majority of the Netherland's energy resources at 41 and 42 percent respectively, with solid fuels coming in third at 10 percent and finally renewable energies making up five percent of the overall energy mix.

In 2012, the transportation sector consumed the most energy of all sources, constituting 29 percent of all consumption in the Netherlands.

In the United States, by comparison, transportation represents 27 percent of the country's consumption, according to a 2015 report from the Energy Information Administration.

BMW -i3 Electric

This isn't the first time that the Netherlands has announced an ambitious energy-saving goal in transportation technology.

The Dutch energy company Eneco, partnering with VIVENS rail companies, announced a plan in 2015 to make a fleet of trains powered entirely by wind energy within the next three years. And for almost a year now, the Netherlands has boasted the world's first solar road, a bike path made of solar panels that generates enough electricity to power a small home for a year.

The Netherlands has also announced plans to pave roads with recycled plastic, which they market as durable and low maintenance, with a smaller environmental impact than asphalt production.

Mercedes B-Class Electric

And while these proposals may be more experimental, advocates say electric vehicles have real potential.
"For people who are aware [of electric cars], there are a few myths," Mr. Levin says. Primarily, many people have the misconception that electric vehicles are expensive, slow, unsafe, and inconvenient.

"They are not fancy cars for rich people – there are many affordable ones. And if you compare apples to apples, the total coast of ownership is very competitive," he explains.

Along with these myths, there are also a lot of positives that gas or diesel-powered cars don't experience. "Apart from any environmental benefits, they are a pleasure to drive, there is tremendous power," he says. "And maintenance is low – there is no engine, so if you change the brakes and batteries, nothing really could go wrong."

Charging is easy, he adds; it can be done at home overnight. "People worry about running out of power, but the [drivers] that run out of power are the same ones that run out of gas."

EU-Digest

European Automobile Industry: European car sales show a tentative recovery - by Holly Ellyatt

European car sales bounced back in the first half of the year and rose almost 15 percent in June alone – even in Greece, according to new car sales data, signalling a tentative rise in consumer confidence over the regions' economic recovery.

New car sales in the European Union (EU) rose 8.2 percent in the first half of the year, according to data published by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association on Thursday, surpassing 7 million units (7,169,984).

All major markets posted growth, contributing to the overall upturn of the EU market over the period, the EAMA said.

In June alone, new passenger car registrations in the region rose 14.6 percent from the same month a year ago, continuing an upward trend that started 22 months ago "and marking the largest over-the-month increase since December 2009," the association added.

Read more: European car sales show a tentative recovery

European Automobile Industry: Is BMW i3 Electric Car Selling Better In U.S. Than Germany? - by John Voelcker

BMW i3 electric car

One of the notable features of last year's electric-car sales was the strong, and so far sustained, sales of the radical new BMW i3 electric car.

The little plastic-bodied battery-electric vehicle from Munich, with its odd coach doors and its rear electric motor, sold more than 1,000 cars a month in four of the eight months last year it was on sale.
 
The total of 6,024 i3s delivered put BMW's first electric car in sixth place among the 21 plug-in vehicles on sale in the U.S.

Among battery-electrics, it won third place, after only the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S--despite being sold for only two-thirds of 2014.

But despite a rumored target of 5,000 deliveries in its homeland of Germany, only 2,128 i3s found homes there during all of calendar 2014.

Read more: Is BMW i3 Electric Car Selling Better In U.S. Than Germany?

European Automobile Industry: Audi SQ7 SUV Confirmed To Get Electric Turbocharger In 2016

Efficiency-minded carmakers are turning to turbocharging in droves, but Audi may be about to do them one better.

The German automaker will put an electric turbocharger into production, and now it has revealed more about its plans for that technology.

According to a new report from Autocar, electric turbocharging will debut on the SQ7, a performance version of the next-generation 2015 Q7 SUV.

A previous report hinted that the technology--dubbed "e-boost" by Audi--would be ready in time for the debut of the standard Q7. The second generation of Audi's biggest current utility vehicle is expected to appear at the 2014 Paris Motor Show this October and go on sale next year.

However, it appears the German carmaker will save the electric turbocharger for a somewhat later debut.
Speaking to Autocar, Audi board member for technical development Ulrich Hackenberg confirmed that the electric turbo would launch on the sportier SQ7, which will likely arrive during calendar year 2016.

Read more: Audi SQ7 SUV Confirmed To Get Electric Turbocharger In 2016: UPDATE

European Automobile Industry: Europe's Car Sales Fall For Sixth Year

Europe's new car registrations declined for the sixth consecutive year in 2013, as recovery in demand over the second half of the year was insufficient to offset deep contractions seen in earlier months.

New car sales dropped 1.7 percent to 11.8 million units in 2013, data published by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association or ACEA showed Thursday.

In terms of annual volumes, ACEA said 2013 was the worst year since 1995, when data was compiled for 15 EU countries, and the worst ever since it began the series in 2003 with the enlarged EU.

PSA Peugeot Citroen sales plunged 8.4 percent in 2013 and Italy's Fiat suffered a 7.1 percent decline. General Motor's sales were down 4.3 percent and that of Ford slipped 3.2 percent. On the other hand, sales of Renault grew 4.4 percent and that of Jaguar Land Rover by 9.7 percent.

Meanwhile, overall car registrations in December alone increased at the fastest pace since end-2009, driven by price reductions offered by manufacturers. Sales grew 13.3 percent from the previous year, which was the fourth consecutive annual rise.

Read more: Europe's Car Sales Fall For Sixth Year: ACEA

Car Industry: Europe’s Hottest Car - The No-Frills Dacia - by David Jolly

The hottest car in Europe this year is not a BMW, a Benz or a Bentley. It is Renault’s low-cost brand, Dacia, out of Romania.

Though Dacia captured less than 3 percent of the market in Europe, its performance has been remarkable for a former Soviet-bloc brand that reappeared only in 2004. 

But in many ways, it may be the right car at the right time for Europe. With unemployment in the euro zone above 12 percent and economic uncertainty high, Dacia has found a foothold with prices as low as 7,700 euros, or about $10,600, taxes included, for its no-frills Logan sedan. 

In data released Tuesday on European auto sales, Dacia showed the greatest gains of any brand, with sales this year through November surging 21.1 percent compared with the same period a year ago. That’s well above second-place finishers Mazda and Jaguar, each with 15.6 percent increases, according to the data.

Read more: Europe’s Hottest Car - The No-Frills Dacia - NYTimes.com

European Automobile Industry: Renault Set to Revive Alpine Brand to Challenge Porsche

Renault SA (RNO), which is losing sales faster than any other European car maker, is pinning a turnaround in part on the revival of a sports-car brand that’s been dormant for almost two decades.

The plan relies on a partnership with Caterham Group, a British manufacturer of offbeat track cars that typically have exposed front wheels and roll bars rather than roofs. For enthusiasts of Renault’s mothballed Alpine marque, the key factor is just getting the brand back on the road.

“Alpine fans have been waiting for this for 20 years,” said Gerard Bailly, 60, a brasserie owner in Dole in eastern France who has two Alpine cars and runs a club for the brand. “Of the 35 people in my club, at least half will buy it.”

Renault, which also makes budget Dacia vehicles, is shifting upmarket, mimicking the strategy of Volkswagen AG. (VOW) Europe’s biggest automaker relies on Audi for 48 percent of operating profit, even though the upscale brand accounts for just 14 percent of deliveries. Renault’s goal is to carve out a niche in the luxury-car market, which could in turn give its mass-market models an edge.

“It’s a good idea to introduce Alpine as there will be a halo effect” for Renault’s other models, said Neil King, an automotive analyst at research company Euromonitor International.

The move follows similar steps by PSA Peugeot Citroen (UG) and Fiat SpA (F) to attract wealthy buyers. With auto demand in Europe contracting for the fifth straight year to the lowest level in 17 years, mass-market carmakers are looking for ways to boost revenue as the effects of the debt crisis weigh on demand.

Read More: Renault Set to Revive Alpine Brand to Challenge Porsche - Businessweek