Mr. Pierpaolo Cazzola:

I am a fan of e-bikes. My wife would not be cycling if it were not for e-bikes. We enjoy bike rides thanks to e-bikes and I am very happy about that. They can bring people closer to the concept of non-motorised transport, especially those who would not otherwise choose such a mode of transport. As such, they are an important development that can really help to ensure that some car trips are avoided.

I echo the remarks of Mr. Caulfied regarding e-scooters. In the context of moving towards the electrification of cars, there is basically a roll-out of battery plans and a reduction in the cost of batteries. That will create a massive opportunity to also transition scooters towards electrification in a way that is very customer-friendly. One can just take the battery from under the seat of the bike, bring it home and plug it into a normal socket; one does not need any new equipment. It is a great system which helps to avoid lots of emissions that are unpleasant for bike users. I do not know whether members have ever stood next to a scooter at a traffic light. It is not the nicest experience in the context of a bike ride.

On the issue of minerals, I point to the OECD due diligence guidance for responsible supply chains. This is an excellent piece of work done by the OECD that we have already been flagging to policy makers in the context of the development of the European battery regulations, that is, the update of the battery regulations that was proposed by the European Commission. It is essentially a framework enabling greater transparency across the supply chain. It is a fantastic initiative and a very important requirement. Ensuring greater transparency is fundamental. I would not fight a war against dirty minerals; rather, I would try to ensure that the supply chain is developed in a virtuous direction. We should not pretend that fossil fuel extraction is immune to implications such as wars or other conflicts. Those factors exist. The important thing is to ensure that the transition towards renewable EVs can happen in good alignment with virtuous development.

That said, there are other aspects to be considered. Focusing battery use on highly utilised vehicles is another way in order to ensure that every kilogram of minerals delivers the maximum in terms of getting people around and cutting emissions. Sharing does the same, as does ensuring that the design features of the batteries fit with the concept of a circular economy and recycling. There is also potential in the context of PHEVs in this space. PHEVs require much fewer minerals provided we can ensure they are being driven using electric power because, otherwise, they will not deliver sufficient greenhouse gas emission reductions. I mentioned policy relating to geofencing and enforcing electric driving for PHEVs. If one takes those points along with the concept of PHEVs and some of the other advantages, so long as one can ensure that PHEVs are driven on electric power most of the time, they can be a resource in the context of the challenges that exist as part of the vast scale of transition towards the very different type of mineral extraction that I expect will result from the transition to e-mobility.