UFOP calls for holistic roadmap for renewable drives and fuels in transport

Dispute in the Chancellery over CO2 fleet limits for lorries reveals fundamental coordination deficiencies in climate protection in transport

The current hiccup over the vote to set stricter CO2 fleet limits for trucks and buses once again confirms the lack of coordination of a comprehensive strategy - not only at national but also at European level. With this statement, the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e. V. (UFOP) criticises the inappropriate discussion in the Federal Chancellery on the regulation of CO2 fleet limits for trucks and buses. UFOP welcomes Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing's adherence to a decarbonisation strategy that is open to all technologies. 

UFOP notes that the vehicle industry itself has regrettably given up the fight for the combustion engine, which can be operated fossil-free with renewable fuels. As the governing party, the FDP is stepping on the brakes late, but still in time. The Union reminds us of the technological openness demanded by the vehicle industry in the past. The sudden cancellation of state funding for e-mobility - as much as 5.7 billion euros in the period from July 2016 to June 2022 - should be warning enough not to commit to one form of drive in the development and thus expected state funding. 

UFOP believes that the causes of the current voting disaster in Brussels and Berlin are primarily to be found in the EU Parliament, where the mantra of e-mobility was discussed without taking into account the huge system costs for creating the infrastructure. Electricity prices are already too high and are likely to remain too high, especially if electricity has to be charged at public charging points. At the same time, the ramp-up of capacity expansion for renewable electricity is lagging far behind the targets. UFOP also finds it incomprehensible that the fact that the entire energy requirement for the electrification of road transport and for heat supply via heat pumps cannot be met from German and European production of renewable electricity is being overlooked. The laws of physics are also sitting at the table in the Chancellery as a silent negotiating partner. UFOP recalls the discussion at the 21st International Conference on Renewable Mobility - Fuels of the Future, which was recently held in Berlin. The experts agreed that electricity converted into energy sources such as methanol must be imported. In view of the energy requirements for all modes of transport, the absolute electricity demand cannot be met from the socket in this country. 

As a component that has already been introduced to the market, biofuels are an important but only complementary contribution to the solution in this environment. This is precisely why their targeted use in heavy goods transport, with its high power requirements in terms of route profile, is also of great importance in the future. UFOP is calling for a coordinated European drive and fuel strategy to be the best possible prerequisite for the framework for action and for a reliable long-term subsidisation policy so that even more jobs do not run the risk of being relocated to third countries. This also applies to engine development.