Hydrogen & cell manufacturing: France’s plans for electrification

France has been at the front of electrification and new mobility initiatives since the start. Investing heavily both in mobility schemes, as well as new energy vehicles, this year’s EVS32 stands at a crossroads for future mobility. Between battery cell manufacturing and hydrogen mobility initiatives, France is poised to take a leading role in European NEV development.

Both in terms of smaller and more practical ventures, such as the recent conversion of the Charles de Gaulle Airport of belt vehicles to electric vehicles, including the use of second-life batteries, or Paris famed vehicle sharing schemes to help deal with the many tourists and locals who need to move about the French capital.

In addition to governmental and industry support for new energy vehicles and electric mobility, this year’s EVS32 will also focus on how to combine players from these two powerful teams. Including test opportunities for a variety of future mobility and emissions free vehicles for the uninitiated and curious, there will be a number of symposium sessions dealing with all the relevant modern mobility issues.

By gathering important players under one roof, and discussing future mobility subjects, from hydrogen to charging infrastructure and micro-mobility to autonomous vehicles, an effective solution to the pollution and health problems emerging from the transport sector can be found. Going a step further, and integrating mobility technology into the electrical grid via Vehicle2Grid (V2G) technology is another logical step to make.

Another major advantage provided by the location is that France is undergoing a major test and  infrastructure setup phase with the hydrogen initiative H2Mobilité, which will demonstrate what a hydrogen mobility economy can look like, on a small scale. This, of course, is by far not the only hydrogen project that will find a home under the roof of the EVS32, it is the most comprehensive current project. The roadmap foresees the deployment of 600 hydrogen fueling stations across France by 2030. The ZEV (Zero Emissions Valley) project objective aims to set up hydrogen fueling stations, electrolysers and introduce 1,000 FCEVs by 2023. By the end of the EU-funded project, the organizers aim to operate with 100% green energy, as well as create a dialogue and cooperation between all regional and supra-regional stakeholders involved in and affected by hydrogen mobility.

Furthermore, France has also been getting more closely involved in battery cell manufacturing plans for electrified vehicles in Europe. While the exact location has yet to be decided and the partners from Germany and France will need to negotiate their roles and responsibilities, the French government has set aside 700 million euros for the project.

As the electric mobility scene in France grows explosively, now is the perfect time to measure the temperature and get a feel for the pulse at the EV32, which will take place from the 19th to the 22nd of May, 2019. Make your mark in the competitiveness clusters and add your voice to the symposiums and pan-European discussions around the national pavilions, helping make Europe clean and competitive on the new energy vehicle grid.