According to reports in Japanese media, the government of Japan plans to double its subsidies for battery-electric vehicles as part of a supplementary budget for 2020. This includes both privately owned vehicles as well as company vehicles.

The outgoing US president Donald Trump announced last year that he wanted to litigate against California’s right to set its own car emission standards. He received support from some players in the industry, including General Motors. Now the car company has backed out.

To increase the uptake of zero- and low-emission vehicles on Californian roads, California electric utilities are teaming up with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to offer up to $1,500 for purchase or lease of electric vehicles. The offer began on the 17 November.

In the USA, a lobby organisation has been founded to advocate that only purely electric vehicles should be sold nationwide from 2030 onwards. There are 28 founding members of the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA), including Tesla.

In Germany, a panel of top politicians and business leaders has decided on further incentives for electric mobility. As expected, these include the extension of the innovation premium until 2025, but also subsidies and requirements for the expansion of charging infrastructure.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made it official: the government will bring forward the ban on the sale of cars with combustion engines by five years to 2030. This measure is part of a new ten-point plan for a “green industrial revolution”.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) released its Hydrogen Program Plan to provide a strategic framework for the Department’s hydrogen research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities. In transport, the Hydrogen Plan focuses on hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as aviation, heavy-duty transport and marine applications.

In order to comply with the goals of the Paris Climate Protection Agreement, the EU wants to tighten the CO2 limits as part of the upcoming Euro 7 emissions standard.

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced the provision of $11 million to expand the US American state’s network of fast-charging stations, in order to support the wider adoption of electric vehicles.

The government of South Australia is allocating $18.3 million in the upcoming State Budget 2020-21 to jump-start the uptake of electric vehicles. At the same time, the South Australian state government has shocked the EV sector imposing a road user charge on electric cars in 2021.

The German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia has presented a hydrogen roadmap. Detailed targets for 2025 and 2030 are ambitious while it remains unclear, where the hydrogen will come from.

Government and industry have together filled a funding pot in Great Britain with 92 million pounds (around 102 million euros) to subsidise 49 concrete electrification projects in the country. The funding program is coordinated by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).

The VW group and the Greek government have agreed to establish a “pioneering mobility system” on the Mediterranean island of Astypalea. To this end, the island’s current transport system is to be converted to electric vehicles and regenerative energies.

The State Council of the People’s Republic of China has now confirmed that the share of New Energy Vehicles (BEV, PHEV and FCEV) in total new car sales in China is expected to rise to 20 per cent by 2025 and account for the majority of sales by 2035.

In California, the California Energy Commission (CEC) has just approved a $384 million plan for critical investments in clean transportation to boost the adoption of zero-emission vehicles.

France is planning a new premium for older electric cars. The new subsidy of 1,000 euros, which Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari announced, is intended specifically for the purchase of second-hand battery-electric cars.

The US state of New York is considering joining California by launching their own phase-out of gas-fueled vehicles by 2035. This is what state senator Pete Harckham hopes to achieve with legislation S.9008 to amend the state Environmental Conservation Law.

Transport for under 2 degrees, or short the T4<2° project, published a study today looking at the decarbonisation of transport in line with the Paris Agreement. We took a deeper dive at how experts interviewed rated the effectiveness and likelihood of climate policies.

The Canadian government announced it is allocating $1.5 billion (around 960 million euros) to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission buses and charging infrastructure. The funds are part of a larger three-year, $10-billion ‘Growth Plan’ that will also invest in clean energy projects.

The EU is contributing over 54 million euros to several transport projects with alternative drive systems. Funding is being provided for projects in Spain, Italy and France so far. The scheme is a rolling call.

After the French government decided to increase its subsidies for electric cars and plug-in hybrids to up to 7,000 euros a few months ago, they will cut back subsidies again from 2021. At the same time, France is tightening the malus penalties for high CO2 emissions.

To help boost the burgeoning EV industry in India, the think tank NITI Aayog has issued a proposal detailing plans to offer incentives totalling up to $4.6Bn (€3.9Bn) by 2030 for companies manufacturing advanced batteries.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that from 2035 only emission-free cars may be sold in the state. By 2045 every new commercial utility vehicle will have to be emission-free.

The emerging Vivaldi coalition in Belgium is planning a ban on new company cars with combustion engines from 2026. The seven parties are still in negotiations to form the government. But should they succeed, this would be a big step.

Three years ago, the British government introduced a ban on the sale of new cars with combustion engines from 2040. The British government now has concrete plans to bring this deadline forward by ten years to 2030.

The European Parliament has voted for the inclusion of CO2 emissions from maritime shipping in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to decarbonise naval transport. Now the EU Parliament is to begin negotiations with the EU states on concrete legislation.

Starting on 28 September, the Scottish Low Carbon Transport Loan will be extended to include coverage for used electric vehicles. So far, the programme has provided over £85 million in funding to to help locals switch to ultra-low emission and electric vehicles.

The French government presented a national hydrogen strategy. It provides for an investment of 7.2 billion euros by 2030 and a hydrogen production capacity of 6.5 GW by 2030. At the same time, a national H2 committee will be established.

The EU Commission apparently wants to tighten the CO2 limits for cars again. A media report, citing an internal paper, writes that new cars are to emit an average of 50 per cent less CO2 by 2030 compared to 2021. The current official target is set at 37.5 per cent less CO2.

Germany apparently wants to use its EU Council Presidency to promote e-mobility. In addition to the mandatory construction of hydrogen filling stations, fast-charging stations and a uniform payment system will also be promoted.