Guidelines enabling renewable energy supply for zero emission road traffic infrastructure

Project partners

• Traffix Verkehrsplanung GmbH
• Umweltbundesamt Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (UBA-GmbH)

Project description

The Austrian federal government has committed to the goal of climate neutrality by 2040 and aims to position Austria as a pioneer in climate protection within Europe. This goal is particularly ambitious for the mobility sector. In order to achieve it, the rapid development and expansion of the zero-emission infrastructure for road transport has to be investigated in parallel with the ramp-up of the various emission-free alternative drive technologies for different vehicle types.

Based on relevant preliminary studies, GREENROAD developed a national quantity structure for zero-emission infrastructure for all road-based vehicle and drive types. Core of the project is a unique holistic approach, which depicts all potential emission-free-mobility use cases and enables a valid forecast of the quantity structure of the zero emission infrastructure. Following an evaluation of current traffic volumes, the total road traffic energy demand in Austria was estimated for 2020-2040 with respect to future developments. Different charging and refuelling concepts are introduced and characterized including the discussion of their specific technical strengths and weaknesses. The extent to which charging or refuelling options are used is worked out from the user's point of view. The comprehensive involvement of experts from different domains ensures that all aspects are taken into account concerning potential ramp-up scenarios and the applications of different drive technologies. With reference to the findings from current studies, projects and developments, GREENROAD combines and enhances the knowledge about the current status of drive technology for passenger cars, light and heavy-duty vehicles as well as buses.

Based on the goal of climate neutrality in 2040, the central result of the study was the development of concrete recommendations for action, including a quantity structure for the expansion of zero-emission infrastructure for road transport, with a focus on the energy efficiency of the overall system. Scenarios for the infrastructure development were elaborated for the time periods to 2025, 2030, 2035 and 2040. Furthermore, the associated costs were determined and options for public policies and measures as well as the effects on the demand for skilled workers were analysed.