A major transformation of the world’s automotive industry is underway. It is a result of several factors – of changing transport needs as more and more people live in large cities, of the geographical shift of growth and manufacturing to rapidly growing developing economies, and of a continued and increasing focus on energy efficiency and emission reduction.
In this transformation, the vehicles will be adapting to meet the new, changing transport needs and customer expectations that arise. Electric vehicles will be a very important and major part of the transition. Electric power is superior in its energy efficiency, the driving experience is fantastic and the lack of both exhaust and sound is appealing in many ways.
As in all industrial upheavals, there will be winners and losers. Sweden therefore has an opportunity. By being part of the transformation, important export industries and many jobs can be safeguarded. New solutions, products, and companies that can reach a global market can emerge. The country can attract investment and be a place where tomorrow’s knowledge and innovations are created. In addition, we ourselves can benefit from the positive environmental effects of electric vehicles. It is also a prerequisite for achieving the Swedish climate goals for the transport sector.
Sweden has good conditions for realizing this opportunity. We have a strong automotive industry that manufactures components, cars, buses and trucks. In addition, we have strong companies and competence clusters in electrical technology, power electronics and energy supply – something we largely lack in fossil fuels. Our unusually clean electricity production and cheap electricity also means that Sweden has a lot to gain on its own conversion to more electric vehicles.
To seize this opportunity requires investment and a national strategy.
This roadmap is a business initiative to promote the electric vehicle market in a way that benefits Sweden – which contributes to socio-economic benefits, to environmental benefits and to a stronger future competitiveness. It is a result of a process involving hundreds of people and over 80 organizations – companies, user organizations, research institutes and municipalities.
The roadmap contains proposals for objectives ans measurements that can strengthen Swedish competitiveness, which can increase the attractiveness of Sweden as a market and which can increase the proportion of electric cars on our roads in a cost-effective way. The purpose of the process has been to mobilize Swedish business and show that there is a willingness to invest.
The hope is that this will be met with long-term and clear rules that take advantage of the opportunities that a conversion to electric vehicles entails.