From oil dependence to electric security: a resilience roadmap for EU road transport
Despite years of progress in clean energy, Europe still relies on imported oil to move most people and goods around the continent. Electric vehicles offer the fastest and most effective way to change that.
Executive summary
Europe is once again paying the price for oil dependence
As oil prices rise, households face higher fuel costs, businesses face higher transport bills, and governments have less control over their economic future. Despite years of progress in clean energy, Europe still relies on imported oil to move most people and goods around the continent.
This is not a marginal vulnerability. Cars, vans and trucks account for around two-thirds of EU oil demand. Every oil shock ripples through the economy.
Electric vehicles offer the fastest and most effective way to change that. Every electric car, van and truck put on the road permanently reduces future oil demand, replacing imported fuel with electricity that is increasingly produced in Europe from domestic renewable sources.
The opportunity is substantial. Delivering on the EU’s original goals for 2030 could avoid approximately 190 million barrels of oil extra per year by 2030, costing approximately €12 billion. Conversely, a stagnated transition would leave Europe more exposed to imported fuels and geopolitical volatility.
Achieving this requires strategic conviction. The EU and Member States must deliver transport electrification as a cornerstone of Europe’s energy security and oil dependence reduction strategy. But deployment alone is not enough.
Europe must also build resilient, competitive and secure electric mobility value chains, avoiding new strategic dependencies while integrating electric vehicles into a smarter, more flexible energy system.
This paper sets out five priorities for delivering a full EU electric mobility security strategy:
- DEPLOY – Put more electric cars, vans and trucks on Europe’s roads.
- BUILD – Strengthen Europe’s EV industrial base.
- POWER – Make electricity the affordable fuel of transport.
- FLEX – Turn EVs into energy assets.
- PROTECT – Secure the digital backbone of mobility.
Together, these pillars provide a roadmap for reducing oil dependence while strengthening Europe’s resilience, competitiveness and strategic autonomy. Electric vehicles are Europe’s most powerful lever for reducing oil dependence and strengthening energy security. It is time for a focused EU and Member State strategy that matches that importance.
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Read the full analysis made in partnership with E-Mobility Europe