Page 22 - European Energy Innovation - Winter 2015 publication
P. 22
Winter 2015 European Energy Innovation

E-MOBILITY

Doing more with less:
smart regulation for the future

By Herbert Reul, MEP

The European Union with it can also be a new solution URDGZKHQWKHUHLVOHVVWUDIƓF
is good in doing to old problems. In the transport
many things. What sector it can help to reduce The key to make these concepts
it is often lacking emissions, relieve problems of work is acceptance and
however is an understanding urbanisation and demographic effectiveness: it must be easy,
that overburdening regulation change, and create more space quick, cheap and safe for the user

LVKDUPIXODQGOHVVHIƓFLHQWWKDQ RQWKHURDGVWRDYRLGWUDIƓF WRXVHDQDSSWRƓQGDSDUNLQJ
setting incentives. Regulation jams. Mobility is one of the basic space, to use an electric car, an
needs of people living in modern autonomously driving car, or to
LQWKHƓHOGRIGLJLWDOLVDWLRQLVLQ societies. However, in the past drive to work later as usual.
its infancy, with many things just years people have become
starting to be regulated now or increasingly mobile and want to If smart mobility is a made
where the previous regulation go greater distances in shorter success, its potential is huge:
is decades old – from the pre- periods of time for less money.
Smartphone age. There is hence 3UHYHQWLQJWUDIƓFMDPVUHGXFLQJ
an opportunity for a fresh start in Possible solutions to the
above-mentioned problems WKHWLPHLWWDNHVWRƓQGDSDUNLQJ
PDQ\ƓHOGVDQGWKLVRSSRUWXQLW\ through digitalisation can be space, and the use of electric
should be used wisely. summarised under the term cars in cities would help reduce
smart mobility. Smart mobility is emissions. Car- and bike-sharing
Digitalisation holds an enormous about connecting various modes would create more space on the
potential for many sectors. It is an of transport (cars, trains, busses, roads. Autonomously driving
opportunity for Europe to retain its taxis, bikes) and integrating cars would make the roads
wealth in the future. But the often them into one system. A system, safer, prevent accidents, as well
untapped potential needs to be which enables the user to use as give people more time to
fully used. Regulation therefore his smartphone to check the actually get things done while
must not prevent innovation quickest or cheapest way to his driving somewhere. Integrated
and new business models from multimodal door-to-door
unfolding. The challenge for the GHVWLQDWLRQWRƓQGWKHFORVHVW transport possibilities would also
European Institutions is to set the parking place, to book the help elderly people that cannot
right framework for established tickets or pay the service in one drive themselves any more to be
companies and start-ups to place and to use it as a bike- or more independent.
grow and adapt to digitalisation, car-key. It is also about new
as well as to create future- ways and means of transport, From the regulatory side,
proof laws that will last in this such as connected cars. But these developments need to
rapidly changing environment. smart mobility is also about be accompanied wisely. I am
Furthermore, consumer trust in choosing “smartly” when to move. convinced that strict emission
new applications is crucial: users targets in the transport sector in
need to trust new applications, ,QFUHDVLQJŴH[LELOLW\RIHPSOR\HHV Europe are not the smartest way
services or hardware in order to that can more and more often to reduce emissions.
make use of them.
FKRRVHZKHQWRZRUNŴH[LWLPH Strict emission regulations
Digitalisation and all that comes are very costly for automobile
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enables people to get on the

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