EU-Pacific Talks: In-EV-itable future of automotive industry: what is the role of the Pacific region

We would like to invite you to the debate called "EU-Pacific Talks: In-EV-itable future of automotive industry: what is the role of the Pacific region" in the EU-PACIFIC Talks series. The debate will take place online on Tuesday, May 30 at 13:00.

Speakers:

• Michal Hrubý, Scientific Assistant, ŠKODA AUTO University
• Petr Knap, Lead Partner for Mobility & Advanced Manufacturing in the Czech Republic, and Mobility Leader for Central and Eastern Europe, Ernst & Young Czech Republic
• Jin Kusaka, Professor, Graduate School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Waseda University, Japan

Moderator: Rebeka Hengalová, Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy

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Global value chains were hit hard by both COVID-19 and the war initiated by Russia. Although previously not visible to everyone, the supply side in the automotive industry is strongly interconnected. Amid the ongoing crisis, its sustainability transformation might now be at risk of delay. Electric and fuel cell vehicles, both foreseen as a way of road transport decarbonization, are both raw material-intensive and, hence, not the cheapest solution to passenger mobility. The assumptions of continuous decrease in the price of batteries and the reaching of price parity between internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles are tested. Yet, the urgency of transport decarbonization has never been stronger. How can the pioneering country of hybrid, partly electrified vehicles and fuel cell vehicles, Japan, help the EU to successfully transform its fleet and improve urban planning with the deployment of light vehicles? Are both these regions ready for a massive uptake of electric vehicles on the way to 2035?

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We will be broadcasting the event live and you can watch the live stream here on the event page.

You will be able to join the discussion directly during the debate by commenting below the video.

If you already have any questions, please post them in the discussion section of this event.

The live stream and a recording of the discussion will also be available here.

Alexandra Visnerova
Senior Project Manager, Transatlantic Policy Forum