The first E-Mobility Summit was held in Malta, dedicated to eco-sustainability in transport and focused on electric vehicles and technological innovations in the automotive sector.
During the summit, which was opened by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, it was repeatedly stressed that Malta is particularly suited to acting as a forerunner in the field of e-mobility, due to the small size of the country and the mild temperatures during winter months . In fact, many participants pointed out that the two biggest concerns about electric vehicles derive from the number of kilometers that can be traveled with a full battery charge, which in Malta is not a problem given the very short distances, and the performance of the battery at low temperatures. Battery performance can be reduced by up to 40% when the temperature falls below zero, but this is a problem that Malta does not know, given that even in winter temperatures are usually well above zero.
However, the very cold winter is not a problem for Norway: during the summit, it emerged that about three vehicles out of four purchased in Norway are electric. The Scandinavian country, in addition to offering strong incentives for those who buy electric vehicles, has also invested heavily in infrastructure and especially in charging stations, which are widespread throughout the country. The project in Norway was carried out in cooperation with various car manufacturers.
The discussion covered in detail the case of Malta, for which future priorities were highlighted. Among these, the improvement of the infrastructures – specifically the charging stations and the possibility of installing charging points at home – has been repeatedly emphasized.
The sessions of the summit also included other key elements such as European legislation, the commitments undertaken at the EU level for the reduction of emissions and the innovations in the sector in the years to come, especially the autonomous cars. On this last point, the fact that the concept of vehicle ownership will be questioned of technological evolution has been highlighted, and that this will require a change of mentality of the whole society. This innovation could potentially solve the traffic problem, which for years has been affecting the daily life of all residents and which has been a government priority for over a decade.
The summit also included an exhibition of electric cars, in addition to the stands of some government agencies operating in the field of environmental protection.
In addition to Prime Minister Muscat, Minister of the Economy Chris Cardona, Minister of the Environment Josè Herrera, Parliamentary Secretary Silvio Schembri, the Director of the European Union for the Environment Daniel Calleja Crespo and MEP Miriam Dalli took the floor.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)
