Roughly 125 years after the first vehicles saw the light of day, a major transformation is under way in the automotive industry. Not only will cars become safer than ever and connected, but their emissions will also rapidly decrease towards zero. Is powertrain diversity the future?

In the past ten years, the uptake of electric vehicles across Europe led to the installation of roughly 300.000 publicly accessible charging posts. Is the gas infrastructure network an asset on the road to decarbonization?

Garrett believes that the achievement of global climate objectives will require a mix of powertrain solutions.

While electric powertrains (EVs) will play a significant role in the decarbonization of transport, hybrid powertrain innovation is still key to delivering immediate real-world emissions savings on the path to carbon-neutrality.

Maintaining powertrain diversity, coupled with emissions-reducing regulatory standards, will help move to dial towards lower carbon mobility, and will also smooth the structural effect on skills, employment and competitiveness. For these reasons, we believe the full range of powertrain technologies and climate-neutral fuels should be available to meet consumers’ needs.

Sound climate legislation should acknowledge the potential for emission reductions resulting from hybrid electric, hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine, hydrogen fuel cells, and battery electric and not just focus on tailpipe emissions.

Hydrogen fuel cells technology offers significant potential for zero-emission mobility, particularly for heavy and light-duty vehicles.

Hydrogen-powered technology has been on the roads since 2013 and is already proving its climate credentials across a mix of vehicle fleets. What’s needed is a combination of private and public investment in refueling infrastructure, including the supply of green hydrogen, along with regulatory support to guarantee availability across transport corridors.

We know that light and heavy-duty internal combustion vehicles will be on the road up to 2050 and beyond. The industry requires sufficient renewable and low carbon fuels to power this fleet on the way to climate neutrality. This requires investment in carbon capture and hydrogen E-fuels, along with research into new sustainable fuel variants. These fuels should be framed within emissions legislation, with an accompanying carbon crediting mechanism reflecting emissions savings.

A smart mobility eco system connecting vehicles with public realm infrastructure will provide data-led insights into how cities and society address climate change and adapt to new mobility needs.

This systematic approach requires safeguards around cyber security and data protection, but can provide yet untapped transparency into the value of autonomous functions and the way vehicles are used.

Innovations in software, including those developed by Garrett, like cybersecurity, advanced controls and diagnostic and prognostic solutions, can help enable the implementation of safe and resilient smart mobility systems.

However, this relies on the creation of a clear deployment framework, along with guaranteed and fair access to important data.

Striking the balance between auto eco system security and the freedom to innovate will be crucial to unlocking the societal, economic and sustainability value of a connected vehicle environment.