Reuters: European policymakers plan more regulatory incentives as they seek to cut dependency on imported fossil fuel and to limit carbon emissions. Electric vehicles are an environmental solution provided they use renewable power.
"Some people think that the recent decrease in oil prices will have a negative impact on electric cars. Personally, I am convinced that this will not be the case," EU Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said.
"New targets will trigger innovation and investments," he told a Brussels conference.
Eurelectric, which represents utilities such as E.ON and RWE, is among those to have written to all the EU commissioners, urging action to promote transport electrification.
Laszlo Varro, head of the gas, coal and power markets division of the International Energy Agency (IEA), predicted that "the overwhelming majority of renewable projects will remain in place," but that the oil price fall will have "a measurable impact" on hybrid and electric vehicles and on efficiency.
Drivers of conventional vehicles are likely to travel longer distances now fuel is cheaper. The U.S. government's Energy Information Administration in late January reported a 4.2 percent rise in U.S. petroleum product demand compared to the same four-week period a year earlier.
In Europe, overall oil demand in the final quarter of 2014 fell 2 percent compared with the previous year, IEA figures show.
"Some people think that the recent decrease in oil prices will have a negative impact on electric cars. Personally, I am convinced that this will not be the case," EU Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said.
"New targets will trigger innovation and investments," he told a Brussels conference.
Eurelectric, which represents utilities such as E.ON and RWE, is among those to have written to all the EU commissioners, urging action to promote transport electrification.
Laszlo Varro, head of the gas, coal and power markets division of the International Energy Agency (IEA), predicted that "the overwhelming majority of renewable projects will remain in place," but that the oil price fall will have "a measurable impact" on hybrid and electric vehicles and on efficiency.
Drivers of conventional vehicles are likely to travel longer distances now fuel is cheaper. The U.S. government's Energy Information Administration in late January reported a 4.2 percent rise in U.S. petroleum product demand compared to the same four-week period a year earlier.
In Europe, overall oil demand in the final quarter of 2014 fell 2 percent compared with the previous year, IEA figures show.
