Key findings on RICARDO study

There is a widespread view that all of light road transport, and much of other transport sectors, should be electrified in order to meet the European Union’s (EU) climate objectives.

But there is also a growing awareness that such electrification will be challenging, and that there is no single solution to building a low-carbon transport system.

Concawe asked Ricardo to carry out an extensive study to examine a scenario for near-complete electrification of cars and light commercial vehicles on the road in the EU by 2050 (“Full electrification scenario”), with quantification of GHG reductions, total costs of ownership and infrastructure, battery materials and power requirements. And in addition, to evaluate in the same way a scenario with a combination of electrification and low-carbon liquid fuels into very efficient internal combustion engine (ICE)-based vehicles (“Low-Carbon Liquid Fuels scenario”). This in-depth study sets out the challenges and opportunities associated with such a range of alternative options.