Providing guarantees of measurement and performance, standardization can make a solid contribution to the worldwide acceptance of electric mobility. ISO’s standards for hybrid electric vehicles are already being referenced all around the world. The Philippines, for example, has a ten-year plan to boost production, local market opportunities and technology upgrades to increase the number of HEVs it has on its roads. The government reports that it is currently working with 28 companies, including 11 parts and components manufacturers and seven importers, with ISO 23274-1 (non-externally chargeable vehicles) and ISO 23274-2 (externally chargeable vehicles) being a key factor in its programme.
Yet, in order to transition from internal combustion engines to electrified vehicles, governments need a long-term vision and a robust portfolio of policy measures, including new fiscal schemes to make up for lost fuel tax revenues, states the Global EV Outlook 2020, the flagship publication of the Electric Vehicles Initiative, a multi-government policy forum dedicated to accelerating the introduction and adoption of electric vehicles. India is currently the fourth largest ICE-based car maker, with its purchase rates bucking the declining trends experienced by the rest of the world thanks to a sales peak in 2018. According to a technical study conducted by Ernst & Young, the Indian government intends to address the country’s rising levels of pollution, population needs and high crude oil imports by creating solutions for sustainable vehicles and travel. ISO standards for HEVs also play a crucial part in their plans.
Following China’s lead, the EU market for electric road vehicles has grown significantly in recent years, largely dependent on standards and support policies. In its February 2020 white paper, the International Council on Clean Transportation noted that both regions are doing well because they have “a broad mix of policies across government levels [that can] overcome the key barriers of electric vehicle affordability, convenience and awareness”. Leading the way for Europe, Norway aims to sell only zero-emissions vehicles by 2025. Today, the country already counts more than one in ten HEVs on the road, with 50 % of imported vehicles having a plug and the ability to run on grid electricity. Its neighbours Denmark and Sweden have both resolved to phase out the manufacture and sale of ICE vehicles after 2030 and the United Kingdom has set a similar goal for 2035.
Technological advances and societal changes have triggered a drastic evolution in mobility. Stricter emissions regulations, lower battery costs and more widely available charging infrastructure will help to create momentum for the penetration of electrified vehicles in the market. As for the speed of adoption, it will be determined by consumer pull and regulatory push, backed by the availability of International Standards. ISO has an important role to play in supporting the transition to smarter, more sustainable vehicles. But with so many countries, governments and manufacturers now on board, the potential is there for even more productive and safer partnerships in the world of environmentally sustainable HEVs.