Analytics, Energy, Good for Business, Legislation, Modern EU

Eugene Eteris. BC.

Presently, transport means in the EU still heavily rely on oil/petrol/diesel, etc. It is known that energy efficiency in transport and effective transport management can substantially reduce oil consumption and emissions. Most optimal way is to invest in alternative fuel solutions, which can help decarbonise transport by gradually substituting the fossil energy sources, which are responsible for the CO2 emissions from transport. Research and technological development have led to successful demonstrations of alternative fuel solutions for all transport modes. Consumers’ market is taking-up, which at the same time requires additional policy action.

Short history

The latest approaches to solve this burning issue, the Directive 2014/94/EU on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (as part of the Clean Power for Transport strategy), was adopted in 2014, aiming to facilitate the development of a single market for alternative fuels for transport in Europe.

Note: The Directive 94/2014 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure is seen here.

This Directive also called for a way for setting up appropriate consumer information on fuels, including a clear and sound indication of the compatibility between different fuels and cars. The call for better consumer information arose from the multiplicity of fuel choices becoming available on the market, in particular with the roll-out of new alternative fuels.

In view of this increasing choice of fuels facing consumers, the Directive mandated the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) to come up with industry-wide standards that would improve existing information.

CEN adopted on 12 October 2016 a special standard EN 16942, “Fuels-identification of vehicle compatibility - graphical expression for consumer information”, which actually enters into force 2 years later, on 12 October 2018.

Then a new standard “EN 17186:2019” laying down harmonized identifiers for power supply for electric road vehicles is expected to be adopted in early 2019.

In May 2018, the Commission also adopted an Implementing Regulation on Fuel Price Comparison which establishes a common methodology to facilitate the comparison of prices of the different fuels in a common unit (euro vs. national currency) taking into account the energy content of the fuel and the energy efficiency of the vehicle.

Source: Commission press release is seen here. 

All EU member states, as well as the EEA countries (plus the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey) are going to have since this October a “unified set” of new common and harmonised fuel labels too.

New fuel labels will be compulsory on newly produced vehicles and at all filling stations dispensing petrol, diesel, hydrogen, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas fuels.

These labels will be placed on the nozzles of all filling pumps, on the pumps themselves and in the immediate proximity of the fuel filler flap/cap of newly produced passenger cars, mopeds, on all kinds of motorcycles, light commercial and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, as well as buses and coaches. The labels should also appear in the vehicle owner's manuals and in the electronic handbooks.

New labels to avoid confusion

The growing diversity of fuels available on the EU petrol market implies an increasing need to provide drivers with clear and straightforward information on the compatibility of the fuels sold at filling stations and on their vehicles. The increasing diversity of fuel denominations and brands can sometimes lead to confusion for consumers and businesses, especially in the European free-movement area.  

One of the initial directives in this regard, the Directive 2014/94/EU on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure required the EU member states and those of the EEA states to improve the information given to consumers who are faced with such a choice of fuels for their vehicle.

In order to help consumers select the appropriate fuel for their vehicles in Europe, new labeling requirements have been agreed for newly produced vehicles and fuel filling stations. The newly common fuel labels will provide improved information in a harmonized and easy-to-read manner.

Three new labels’ groups

The new labels are divided into three groups, with a unique identifying shape for each type of fuel: gasoline will be marked with an E inside a circle, diesel with a B inside a square, and gaseous fuels will be marked with a rhombus. The information inside the shape indicates the maximum biofuel content in the fuel that is recommended for use by the vehicle that is equipped with the new label. The size of the labels is: at fueling stations, 13mm diameter minimum for the nozzle and 30mm diameter minimum for the fuel-dispensing unit; in new cars' fuel flap/clap, 13mm diameter minimum.

= Gasoline-type fuels: used various circles, e.g. E5, E10, E85, etc. (“E” stands for specific bio-components present in petrol).

= Diesel-type fuels: square. B7, B10, XTL, etc. (“B” stands for specific biodiesel components present in diesel, the XTL stands for synthetic diesel and indicates that it is not derived from crude oil).

= Gaseous-type fuels (e.g. CNG, LNG, LPG and H2-hydrogen) diamond signs.

Note: There is copyright on all three label groups adopted by the European Committee for Standardization.

In addition to the fuel identifiers, the EU states can provide additional consumer information on the characteristics of the fuels on the refueling pump.

These new labels do not intend to replace any existing quality, safety, or performance recommendations, or marketing or branding communication currently featured in re-fuelling points, vehicle fuel caps or vehicle manuals names.

The new fuel labeling complements the information needs of a vehicle user arriving at a refueling point facility as regards to the compatibility between a fuel and motor vehicle engine so that consumer can easily distinguish amongst fuel types and grades (e.g. petrol, diesel, LPG, natural gas, etc.) and the compatibility of those fuels with their vehicle's engine.

Legislation in effect 

The European legislation requires the labels only for new vehicles placed on the market for the first time or registered as of 12 October 2018.

As for electric vehicles, in the case of hybrid-electric vehicles, the driver will still need to refuel with the appropriate fuel.

A similar set of labels for electric vehicles on recharging points to guide drivers on the recharging of the vehicle batteries is currently being designed. A new standard “EN 17186:2019” laying down harmonized identifiers for power supply for electric road vehicles is expected to be adopted by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) in early 2019.

The corresponding labeling requirements shall also apply to all recharging points and electric road vehicles registered on the territory of the EU member states as of 24 months after its adoption.

The labels are the result of the standards developed by European standardization bodies with the participation of industry, consumer and civic society representatives. A specific task force under the European Committee for Standardization, CEN Technical Committee 441 (TC441) worked on the design and format of new labels to comply with the general prescriptions of Directive 2014/94/EU. The participants of the task force included experts from the EU vehicle and fuel industries, NGOs representing consumers, national standard bodies, a number of EU governments and the European Commission.

The alternative fuels

Alternative fuels' are fuels or power sources which serve, at least partly, as a substitute for fossil oil sources in the energy supply for transport and which have the potential to contribute to its decarbonisation and enhance the environmental performance of the transport sector. They include, for example, electric power, hydrogen, biofuels, synthetic and paraffinic fuels, natural gas (including biomethane) in gaseous form (compressed natural gas (CNG)) and liquefied form (liquefied natural gas (LNG), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

It is important to notice that in some cases CNG, LNG and LPG can be of 100% fossil origin.

European transport is heavily dependent on oil (most of it is imported) and faces increasing fuel supply insecurity as oil comes from increasingly unstable regions of the world, and a high and rising oil import bill which causes a deficit in the balance of trade.

Both the EU and the member states are certain that the EU transport sector must diversify its energy sources.

The Commission's Transport 2050 Strategy (adopted in 2011) has been aimed at breaking the EU transport's dependence on oil; it proposed a target of 60% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2050. Besides, it had set goals for the different modes of transport, including CO2-free city logistics in major urban centers by 2030, halving the use of conventionally fuelled cars in urban transport by 2030, and phasing them out in cities by 2050.

It also envisaged a 40% CO2-low aviation fuels by 2050, and 40% CO2 emissions reduction from ships. These goals cannot be achieved with conventional fuels but require a big share of alternative fuels.

Alternative fuels can help to reduce Europe's air quality problems. It is estimated that there were 420.000 premature deaths from air pollution in the EU in 2010. Much of the air pollution is caused by petrol and diesel burning motor vehicles.

Energy efficiency in transport and effective transport management can substantially contribute to reducing emissions and oil consumption. However, they are not an alternative to oil substitution but a bridge to alternative fuels. Alternative fuels are one element of a complex policy mix to decarbonise transport, by gradually substituting the fossil energy sources which are responsible for the CO2 emissions from transport.

In November 2017, the Commission adopted an “Action plan on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure” (the corresponding Directive was approved in 2014), setting forth a number of support actions to accelerate the roll out of infrastructure as well as to increase investments, and improve consumer acceptance. This is part of the EU’s strategy towards clean, safe and connected mobility. 

The Commission’s Communication is seen here.

General source: Commission press release is seen here.