At the invitation of GEVE members – the International Association of Electric Vehicle Drivers and EV Klub Polska, on behalf of the Association for Electromobility, Anela Karahasan presented the state of electromobility in Bosnia and Herzegovina – between opportunities and barriers at the International Congress of New Mobility, held from 26-28.09.2023 in Lodz, Poland.
The New Mobility Congress in Lodz was officially opened under the motto “the time for sustainable mobility is now”. Over 3 days, the Congress brought together leading leaders from the world of electromobility in one place, more precisely around 1,500 participants from all over the world, who had the opportunity on 5 parallel stages to hear around 250 different topics, presented by 400 speakers and panelists. As part of this year’s Congress, the largest regional fair of zero-emission technologies in transport was also organized, intended for suppliers and buyers of e-mobility solutions from all over Europe, and around 200 exhibitors took part. Also, Ford Explorer was presented for the first time for the Polish market. In addition to Ford, Hyundai, BMW, Iveco also had premieres, and the first Polish electric delivery vehicle was presented.
The importance of this conference is also shown by the presence of representatives of AVERE – the only European Association for Electromobility that represents and advocates the development of electromobility on behalf of the economy, the academic community and electric vehicle users.
Despite the completely different situation and progress of electromobility in BiH, there was great interest in BiH, especially in the domain of the tourist potential of electric vehicles in and through BiH.
Also during the panel discussion: “Electric momentum: electric vehicle users at the forefront of transformation” all the achieved results in BiH were warmly welcomed by representatives of AVERE and GEVE members from Norway, the Netherlands, France, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, and France, where they pointed out that the results of BiH, although minimal, are very significant considering the speed at which the changes occurred, and that BiH has started on the same path of electromobility development as other European Union countries, although it is currently at a slower pace due to underdeveloped infrastructure. New business models, new jobs, and innovations brought to BiH by electromobility were also welcomed, presented by the first domestic “made in BiH” electric delivery vehicle and electric bicycle.
During the New Mobility Congress in Lodz, discussions were held about batteries, recycling, new necessary knowledge and skills, the potential of hydrogen, the digital future, smart cities, the green economy, financial models and the achievement of set climate goals according to AFIR, savings, and the “green fleet”, i.e. encouraging the economy to use environmentally friendly vehicles. Special attention was paid to the challenges and needs faced by women when driving electric vehicles and charging them, with the aim of encouraging the necessary changes in today’s market, for a better and safer tomorrow for women drivers of electric vehicles.
In conclusion of the Congress, it was emphasized that despite numerous challenges, the sustainable transport market in Europe and around the world is growing dynamically. The number of electric vehicles and charging stations is constantly increasing. In 2023, revolutionary legal regulations for the e-mobility sector in the EU come into force. Each subsequent month is getting closer to the deadlines set out in the “Fit for 55” package.
Metaphorically, the New Mobility Congress in Lodz was closed with the statement: “The Ice Age is over”.
