Slovenian aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel is working on a zero-emission regional aircraft with 20 seats, which should be available between 2028 and 2030. The Miniliner concept now unveiled could fly on hydrogen, although Pipistrel says it is still evaluating various propulsion solutions.

As manufacturers scrambled to meet EU (and Swiss) CO2 compliance levels with a last-minute registrations splash-and-dash in December, Schmidt Automotive Research crunched the numbers with some astonishing results.

MAN proves in Munich that e-trucks are suitable for inner-city driving at sensitive times. The test drives with the all-electric MAN eTGM truck showed a time saving of 15 to 30 per cent by shifting the time window of deliveries to the off-peak hours of the day.

The future of the British Nissan plant in Sunderland is secure in the long term due to the trade agreement reached between the UK and the EU. In return, the Japanese automaker is even investing in the English site.

The Volkswagen Group just missed the EU’s CO2 fleet targets for 2020. The CO2 pool formed with other manufacturers fell short by around 0.5 g/km last year. By contrast, the VW and Audi brands exceeded their CO2 fleet targets, primarily due to the ramp-up of the ID.3 and rising e-tron sales.

Tesla can start preparations for its battery factory at the Giga Berlin site in Grünheide ahead of schedule. Tesla has been granted a provisional start for the work upon request, according to a BMWi spokesperson, although this is in itself not a building permit.

In Italy, the first fast-charging stations have now been connected to the grid at three IP-branded filling stations as part of the European E-VIA FLEX-E project. Four more locations in Italy are to follow later this year.

Volkswagen AG has opened its CO2 pool in the EU further at the end of last year to include more manufacturers. The new pooling partners all make electric vehicles.

Battery analytics specialist Twaice Technologies has now joined the European Battery Alliance to develop a sustainable battery value chain in Europe.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Norway’s SINTEF institute are researching cobalt-free lithium-ion batteries in the EU project HYDRA together with ten partners. They want to test an industry-ready prototype for real-world operation in a ship battery system.

A group of 13 partners from the entire value chain of ship electrification have launched ‘Current Direct’, a research project that aims, among other things, to reduce the cost of battery-electric propulsion systems in shipping and build an ‘Energy as a Service’ platform.

As the virus called an almost complete halt to the world this year, the newsreels continued to turn. You kept returning to our pages in greater numbers than ever, and these are the most read articles in each month of 2020.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has just announced the launch of the IPCEI Hydrogen. This is a joint European project (Important Projects of Common European Interest, or IPCEI) analogous to the two initiatives already launched in the field of battery cell manufacturing.

Nissan decided against assigning the Sunderland plant to make the new Ariya model. All hopes to increase if not secure production in Britain with the new electric car are dashed as the company appears to have changed plans, possibly due to a no-deal Brexit.

The EU has adopted more ambitious climate protection targets for 2030. By this year, CO2 emissions are now to be reduced by at least 55 per cent compared with 1990. Previously, a reduction in CO2 emissions of only 40 per cent was planned by 2030.

The European Commission has published its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy with an Action Plan involving 82 initiatives that should guide transport policies in Europe for the next four years. The Strategy also includes transport industry transition targets by 2030, 2035 and 2050.

The European Commission, in a strategy due next week, will lay out measures to tackle EU greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. Reports speak of 30 million electric vehicles by 2030 and related infrastructure.

The European Battery Alliance has reached more than 500 members from the industry three years after its foundation. At the European Conference on Batteries, politicians and entrepreneurs discussed the future of battery production in Europe with a prominent guest from California.

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.

The share of all-electric passenger cars and plug-in hybrids has reached a record high in Europe – due to Corona. Almost every tenth new car registered in the EU in the third quarter was electric to an extent.

Honda has joined the CO2 pool of Tesla and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in the EU, according to an official document from the European Commission. The Honda e registrations appear insufficient to reduce Honda’s overall fleet emissions.

The EU project NEXT-E with 252 fast-charging stations will soon be connected to Hubject’s eRoaming platform Intercharge. This involves 222 fast chargers with 50 kW and 30 HPC stations with 150 to 350 kW charging capacity in seven Eastern European countries.

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.

To secure the supply of raw materials such as lithium or rare earth in Europe, the EU Commission launched the European Raw Materials Alliance today. ERMA already includes 150 companies as well as non-governmental organizations, associations and governments.

Hubject and Ubitricity have decided to collaborate across Europe. All future public charging points in Europe that will be operated by Ubitricity will automatically be available on Hubject’s eRoaming network.

The Chinese automotive group SAIC has joined the Volkswagen Group’s CO2 pool in the EU with its brands MG Motor and SAIC Motors Europe. This is according to an official document of the European Commission.

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.

The European BATTERY 2030+ project is gaining momentum as the research initiative launches seven projects with a total budget of 40.5 million euros from the EU’s Horizon 2020 program this September.

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.

It is looking like the UK is to remain with EU regulation on CO2 emission standards even after leaving the European Union at the end of this year. A new consultation points out as much and is open for comments until 21 August.