© Kuva: Ralph Hutter. Unsplash.
In the regions, transport is a key target area for emission reduction measures, and emission reductions are implemented, for example, through the renewal of the passenger car fleet. The goal is to halve domestic transport emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
A page on traffic indicators has been created on the hiilineutraalisuomi.fi website, giving the user an overview of the development of the car fleet. The indicators show, for example, how many passenger cars using alternative propulsion systems as well as public charging stations for electric cars and gas filling stations are currently available in Finland.
The indicator page is a handy tool to see how the car fleet has developed in the regions. “The indicators provide a comprehensive overview of the development of the car fleet as well as regional trends,” says Johanna Mäkinen, one of the creators of the indicator page.
What are the indicators saying about the current situation?
The number of first registrations of rechargeable hybrids and all-electric cars has increased considerably, but the share of all-electric cars in the car fleet is still very small. In particular, rechargeable hybrids have quickly become more common, whereas the acquisition of all-electric cars has been slower.
A similar trend in the popularity of rechargeable hybrid cars can also be seen in Sweden and Denmark, for example. In Western Europe, however, the number of all-electric cars is well ahead of Finland.
The indicators also show regional differences in the car fleet renewal, as the fleet changes faster in large urban areas than in rural areas, for example. “In the case of electric cars, the difference may be explained by the long distances in rural areas, for example, as owning an electric car in an area with long distances can be more difficult,” says Mäkinen.
The goal of the car fleet renewal is still far from being achieved
The share of all-electric cars and rechargeable hybrids in the car fleet has started to grow well, but the 2030 target of 600,000 electric cars is still far from being reached. In June 2021, there were over 14,000 all-electric cars and 62,000 rechargeable hybrids. Change has taken place, but much remains to be done to achieve this goal.
“If the number of electric cars does not grow sufficiently, other measures, such as emissions trading, will have to be adopted in order to achieve the emission reduction targets for transport,” Mäkinen comments.
Various national measures accelerate the electrification of the car fleet. For example, support for the purchase of all-electric cars and the increase in the number of both public and home-based charging stations are important, since for many people the possibility of charging their car at home is a precondition for the purchase of an all-electric car. Municipal actors can influence home charging opportunities through land transfer terms and land use agreements, for example.
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Further information
- Researcher Johanna Mäkinen, johanna.m.makinen@tuni.fi, tel. +358 40 558 0618