VWCV invests in solar farm to support net zero EVs

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has announced financial support for a large solar farm in Spain as it looks to encourage renewable energy projects that will underpin the zero emission ambitions of its vehicles.

The solar farm (pictured below), close to Valladolid in the Castile and León region, has 100,000 panels capable of generating 74 million kW hours of electricity per year.

Susanne Leifheit, Head of Public Affairs and Sustainability at VWCV, said: “To secure financing for extra capacity at wind farms and solar installations, we’re working with the energy industry in a targeted way and are funding projects that are generating additional green electricity. For us, the Spain project is another key milestone along the ‘way to zero’, by which I mean decarbonisation and the creation of sustainable mobility.”

VWCV is aiming for 55% of the vehicles it sells to be battery-powered by 2030, and says expanding renewable energy generation is particularly important because electric vehicles will only be able to make their full contribution to climate protection if they actually run on green electricity.

The manufacturer has also announced that it will offset CO2 emissions from the manufacturing process and upstream supply chains through certified climate protection projects.

This means that the ID. Buzz (pictured below) will have a net zero carbon footprint when deliveries start this autumn. By the end of the decade VWCV has set itself the target of reducing the entire life cycle emissions of its commercial vehicles by 40% compared to 2030.

Images: VWCV