The number of electric cars in the European Union may reach 30 million in 2030.

SMM: according to reports, the European Commission has put forward a plan to require a large-scale accelerated transformation of the automobile industry to increase the number of electric vehicles on Europe's roads to at least 30 million by the end of 2030.

The goal of zero-emission cars is included in a draft strategy paper obtained by Bloomberg News, which is scheduled to be officially released next week. Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BloombergNEF) reports that given that there are only about 1.4 million electric vehicles in Europe, the EU's goal is ambitious. The research institute predicts that there will be 28 million plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicles on European roads by 2028.

The plan also sets targets for a wider transport sector, calling for a doubling of high-speed rail traffic by 2030 and carbon neutrality for regular commutes between cities below 300km. The plan requires the market to have large aircraft and ships with zero emissions ready by 2035.

The EU's future goals include doubling rail freight volume and tripling high-speed rail traffic by the middle of the century. The road map is expected to evolve into draft legislation in the coming months.

At present, EU member states are disagreeing on emissions reduction targets for 2030, with previous plans to reduce emissions by at least 55 per cent from 1990 levels. In this context, the European Union has put forward the latest proposals for the transport industry.

Raising the existing 40 per cent target is a key element of the European green agreement (European Green Deal), which requires increased spending on energy production and infrastructure. The draft document shows that "we need to make all modes of transport sustainable" to achieve climate targets and enable European companies to maintain industrial leadership. The document also points out that the current proportion of zero-emission and low-emission vehicles in the fleet is still too small.

The committee, which will revise carbon dioxide emission standards for cars and trucks by June 2021 and heavy vehicles by 2022, called for policies to "stimulate market demand for zero-emission vehicles".