As governments announce emergency measures to cut back on industrial use of gas and increase levels of gas in storage, automobile manufacturers across Europe are increasing their efforts to reduce energy usage. ACEA has made an overview of some of the key actions undertaken by its members in the short and medium term.
These current actions should be put in the context of the ongoing efforts to improve the energy efficiency of car production over the last 15 years. Indeed – despite the increased complexity of vehicle production – the overall total energy consumption from car production has been cut by 23% over the last 15 years, as the latest ACEA data shows.
While supply chain shortages, particularly those affecting semiconductors, continue to disrupt global manufacturing activities and constrain production, the focus in Europe is switching to the effects of the supply interruption of natural gas from Russia.
According to the latest S&P Global Mobility forecast, potential production losses from Europe-based manufacturing plants could reach more than 1 million units per quarter, starting in the fourth quarter of 2022 through the entirety of 2023.
Quarterly European light vehicle production was forecast to be between 4 and 4.5 million units, with moderate growth expected. However, with potential restrictions due to energy rationing, output could be reduced to 2.75-3 million units per quarter.
Source: ACEA
