Wind power and e-cars - Europe's way out of the energy crisis?

In 2025, almost twice as many wind turbines and electric vehicles were produced as were put into operation in Europe, according to a report by the think tank Ember. In the production of heat pumps, supply was three times as high as demand. Europe's production base for clean technologies is therefore much stronger than generally assumed.

Last year, European exports of wind turbines and electric vehicles amounted to more than 30 billion euros, according to Ember. In addition, the consumption of 67 million barrels of oil - over ten billion liters - was avoided through electric vehicles alone. This has saved 4.1 billion euros in import costs.

EU pays billions for fossil fuel imports

However, Europe's dependence on fossil fuels remains a significant weakness, according to the report. As 85 percent of fossil fuel supplies are imported from countries outside the EU, the continent's energy costs and economic stability are directly linked to markets it cannot control.

According to the report, fossil fuel price spikes cost Europe an additional 18.5 billion euros in the first months of the US and Israeli war with Iran. The EU Commission recently stated that EU spending on fossil fuel imports had increased by 47 billion euros in the first 100 days since the start of the war.

However, electrification offers Europe a way out of this vulnerability. "Electrification is not a trade-off between security and affordability - it is the path to both," claimed Tom Harrison of Ember. The tools and the production base are already in place; what is needed now is a policy that moves as fast as the technology does.