The 32nd edition of the Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS) in Lyon came to an end a few days ago. The event, that celebrated its 50th anniversary, had more than 8.000 visitors during its four days of activity, with companies from across the entire electromobility value chain showcasing their latest technological innovations.

EVS32 also hosted numerous conferences, academic seminars and lectures, with keynote speakers from all over the world discussing the current potential of the electromobility sector, and how together we can ensure it continues to grow becoming the predominant mass transport system in the years to come as we work towards a zero emission society.

The first day, Sunday 19 May, was dedicated to the general public, so they could discover the world of e-mobility and try the latest models of electric vehicles at the Ride&Drive section. This area was accessible throughout the four days of the event to let people test drive different forms of electric transport, from scooters to bike quads, including a selection of the newest car models.

In the evening we were delighted to host the EVS32 Welcome Reception which gave delegates the opportunity to network before the start of the symposium.

Monday May 20 started with the Opening Ceremony, which was chaired by our President Espen Hauge who, in reference to the huge steps forward made by the e-mobility industry in the last fifteen years, aptly stated: “What an amazing period we are in right now. And we still only see the very beginning of the exponential curve of EV sales“.

The Opening plenary also included high-profile speakers like Mr. Laurent Wauquiez, President of The Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Regional Council,  Mr. Yannick Duport, EDF Group Electric Mobility Director, Mr. Philippe Monloubou, Chairman of The Management Board of Enedis, Mr. Florent Menegaux, CEO of the Groupe Michelin, Mr. Gilles Normand, Senior Vice President for the Electric Vehicle Business Unit at Groupe Renault and His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco.

AVERE was delighted to welcome them all, as well as the media corps attending the event, at its booth following the ceremony for a brief introduction to our activities. The visit was part of the broader guided tour the VIPs had been offered by our President and by our Secretary General Philippe Vangeel.

The afternoon of the first day saw the beginning of the AEC2019, the AVERE E-Mobility Conference, as well as a number of lectures and workshops, some of which were chaired by our members.

The following day, Tuesday May 21, was framed around the policy developments required to provide more support to electromobility so to increase its presence in Europe and the world at large.

The daily plenary hosted keynote speakers from national and regional governments as well as from international institutions: Mr. Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transportation for the State of Baden-Württemberg in Germany, Mr. Takafumi Anegawa, President of the Research Institute of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. TEPCO, Mr. Daniele La Porta, Senior Mining Specialist at The World Bank and Mr. Alexandre Paquot, Head of the Transport Unit at DG CLIMA.

These keynote political personalities exchanged their views on the best practices stemming from different regions and countries around the world, and provided their perspective on the international programs advancing the electrification of transport.

The afternoon saw the continuation of the AEC2019, with panels on mobility as a service and the use of electric heavy duty vehicles. Tuesday’s program also included the beginning of the workshop by the CRM4EV project, which includes AVERE among its members and that aims at providing accurate, credible and up to date information on issues surrounding raw materials and topics which are considered as critical for the quick ramp up of EV sales.

In the evening, delegates attended a gala dinner during which Professor C.C. Chan of the Hong Kong University, a true pioneer of electromobility, was given an award for all his work in the sector.

The last day, Wednesday May 22, brought the program to its conclusion with thee closing sessions of AEC2019 on hydrogen and on smart charging. These were followed by the Closing Ceremony which provided an enlightening overview of the many topics covered by this year’s EVS and the huge attendance at the event.

During the ceremony, Mr Reyes Garcia was awarded for best paper presented at the conference while Mrs Ewert was awarded for best dialogue paper. The cities of Madrid in Spain, Long Beach in the US and Daegu in South Korea  received the E-Visionary Awards for their great accomplishments in making electromobility a common transport solution in their urban environments and finally the baton of EVS was passed to the city of Portland, where EVS33 will take place and where we hope you will join us next year.

This was a great event, that really made a point of showing how advanced e-mobility is as a transport solution for the mass market, and we look forward to keep on working with you all in this direction! The electric future is now!