This article is also available in Italian / Questo articolo è disponibile anche in italiano

The Think Tank section of issue 55 of Renewable Matter, focused on transport and sustainable mobility, presents a compelling discussion that brings together voices from institutions, NGOs, civil society, and industry.

We begin with an in-depth conversation with William Todts, Executive Director of the NGO T&E -Transport & Environment, who examines the challenges of decarbonising the transport sector—not just the automotive supply chain, but also aviation and maritime transport.

Next, we spoke with Daniel Serra Segarra, Director of Ecosystem & Stakeholders at the European EIT Urban Mobility initiative, who offers a fascinating perspective on the cutting edge of mobility: self-driving vehicles.

Finally, we catch up with Maria Grazia Davino, Regional Managing Director of BYD Europe for German-speaking countries and East Europe, to explore the perspective of a major Chinese company entering the European automotive market at a time of profound transformation. Below is a glimpse of the topics we discussed. You can read the full interviews in Renewable Matter #55.

William Todts: decarbonising transport, Europe at a crossroad

The transition of Europe’s transport sector lies at a crucial crossroad, caught between Europe’s climate goals, the pressures of an increasingly competitive global market, and attempts to return to business-as-usual by parts of the political and automotive world. Electrification is advancing, spurred by regulations and incentives, yet critical questions remain unanswered, from infrastructure development to industrial competitiveness.

All the while, the debate rages on about how to balance innovation and trade policies in an area where Europe is no longer the clear leader. The future of mobility in the Old Continent is now at stake between targeted investments, regulatory simplification, and a strategy capable of bringing sustainability to the sector without curbing its growth.

Emanuele Bompan spoke about this with William Todts, Executive Director of T&E - Transport & Environment, the nongovernmental organisation leading the promotion of a zero-emission mobility system at the European and global level.

Daniel Serra Segarra: self-driving vehicles, the future of mobility

Five years ago, the vision for European mobility was shared, electric, and autonomous. While electrification and shared transport have made slow but steady progress, driverless vehicles remain a significant cultural and technological challenge—particularly for Europe, which risks falling behind in the race.

Daniel Serra Segarra, Director of Ecosystem & Stakeholders at EIT Urban Mobility—an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), established by the European Union—explained to Simone Fant how this transformative technology will reshape the way we travel, not just within cities. With US and Chinese tech firms leading the charge, Segarra believes the widespread adoption of self-driving vehicles is only a matter of time.

Maria Grazia Davino: BYD, China’s electric car rises to the European challenge

In 2024, China’s automotive industry released more than 10 million electric and hybrid vehicles onto the market, placing the People’s Republic on the podium as the world’s leading manufacturer. Although China’s electric transport sector is a vast ecosystem of big and small companies, there is one name that has become an international emblem of the Dragon’s unstoppable rise: BYD. Founded in 1995 by chemist (now billionaire) Wang Chuanfu, BYD was established as a highly innovative rechargeable battery company and launched into the automotive market in 2003.

Today, its two main divisions—BYD Electronic and BYD Auto—encompass a portfolio of technologies that drive the entire EV supply chain, from batteries to motors, from electronic controls to semiconductors. Meanwhile, its R&D department has developed an autonomous driving system, ambitiously named God’s Eye, which, as recently announced, will be integrated by standard into even the cheapest cars.

This technological advantage has allowed the Shenzhen-based multinational to first ascend the Chinese domestic market, and now to embark on the conquest of the international ones, achieving one record after another. In the past year, with 4.27 million cars sold (the target was 4 million), it has not only recorded a 41% growth over 2023, but has also achieved the historic overtaking of Tesla in the sale of pure electric vehicles (BEVs).

If the Southeast Asian and Latin American markets, albeit still small, already love the brand and are growing rapidly, now the Chinese company is taking on the not easy European challenge.

Giorgia Marino discussed this topic with Maria Grazia Davino, former Stellantis manager for the UK and Enlarged Europe region, and newly appointed Regional Managing Director of BYD Europe for Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

Cover: Maria Grazia Davino, Daniel Serra Segarra, William Todts