Thursday, March 14, 2024
According to data from Unespa's Information File on Insured Vehicles (FIVA), there are currently 33.3 million vehicles in circulation in Spain, including passenger cars, mopeds, vans, etc. In view of these figures, we must consider the effects generated by these vehicles. According to Emilio Froján, CEO of Velca, the brand emerged from a strong conviction about the future of mobility, which must be not only functional, but also environmentally friendly. Faced with the need to address environmental and urban challenges, the vision was born to create a brand that offers electric vehicles that are not only outstanding for their elegant design and quality but are also energy efficient.
Why is it necessary to change how we move?
Carbon dioxide emissions are the highest in our planet's history, and we as human beings must be aware of this. We are ultimately responsible for reducing these carbon dioxide emissions and polluting gases. Today, the best way to do this is by implementing zero-emission mobility, mainly in areas where there is the highest level of pollution.
You are considered by Forbes as one of the leaders of change in Spain. Since when have you been fully aware of the importance of taking care of the environment? Is Velca your contribution to a better world?
All the projects I have worked on have throughout my life incorporated considerations for social or environmental impacts. I have never worked on something without thinking of a medium- or long-term purpose that could improve the quality of life of people, cities or natural environments. In this case, Velca has the vision of improving the quality of life and community living in cities.
Given the importance of clean energy in the energy transition, what is your view of the challenge of making electric mobility accessible and attractive to a wider public?
Electric mobility has not been accessible in recent years. We are concerned that this transition should be inclusive, accessible, and affordable for everyone. We do not want the energy transition to generate competitive advantages for high incomes and disadvantages for middle and low incomes. That is why we periodically propose incentive policies to different governmental bodies to facilitate the acquisition of vehicles through tax reductions, income tax rebates and purchase subsidies that are better defined than they are today.
Spain has experienced significant growth in electric motorcycle registrations. How do you think this growth is related to the increasing awareness of the importance of the energy transition?
Since 2016, electric motorcycle registrations have grown by 1200%. Clearly, the presence of electric motorcycles in the vehicle fleet is advancing at great speed, but it is also true that we have seen a plateau in the last two years. So we hope that with the new incentive policies all this can be improved. There is still a lot to do. Only 2.5% of the motorcycles we have in Spain are electric, so there are still 97 motorcycles out of every 100 that in the next few years we will try to change. To make it as attractive a product as possible we have to work on factors such as speed, vehicle range, and other features. People don't buy from you just because you are sustainable or because you emit less carbon dioxide or less nitrogen oxide. We have to make an attractive, sexy, functional product, a product that at a design level meets all the needs that consumers want and make electric into something cool, something desirable. Not only from a sustainability perspective, but also in terms of usability, functionality, design and reliability.
How will the impact of traffic restrictions help at the urban level? And how can electric vehicles play a crucial role in mitigating these challenges?
Cities as we know them were designed with cars in mind. All the arteries—the veins that are in a city, the streets, the avenues, the highways—were all made with cars in mind. In large cities, 70% of the public space is for cars. The trend we are seeing in the last 10 years is that the citizens, the life, the social interactions of the people, are reconquering the public space that during the last centuries had been dedicated to vehicles. Motorcycles take up four times less space than cars and in these progressive restrictions on road traffic, especially of heavy vehicles, the incorporation of motorcycles is a very advantageous option to improve the use of space and allocate more public space to people's lives, play, sports, or for people to get around on bicycles or walking, which is the best way to move around.
In terms of the electric vehicle industry, what do you see as the biggest challenges to advancing the energy transition? And how can Velca and other companies effectively address these challenges?
The challenges are the reduction of emissions that create the greenhouse effect and the emissions that harm people's health. On the one hand, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, the proposal from a brand like Velca is clear: an electric motorcycle emits only 17 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer. This is less than what is emitted per capita by a subway or a light rail train, four times less than an electric car and ten times less than a combustion car. The carbon dioxide savings from an electric motorcycle are enormous. In addition, more than 60% of the trips made by car within the city are made with only one passenger and are less than 5 km, which is a perfect distance to make on a moped or an electric motorcycle.
In 2023, you published your book Gratitude: Reflections of a grateful entrepreneur. What are you grateful for?
Well, this is a book that I wrote, with all the love in the world, to my friends and all the people who have helped us to get this project off the ground. Setting up a factory or a motorcycle company coming from a humble family without many economic resources is only possible when you have the support of many people and when you have the support of your family. It is a book to celebrate gratitude, to celebrate the kindness that many people have had with us in supporting us from the very beginning.
What is the next challenge that lies ahead?
Every day is a battle and new challenges come up. What I can say is that I have the attitude of not stopping, we continue with the same illusion intact since the first day, the same passion, the same energy, the same desire. There are 20 billion problems, but we have created an atmosphere and a work environment that plugs you in and recharges your batteries on a daily basis. I don't know what the next challenges will be, but I think it's important to always maintain or know where you can get that positive energy from to be able to face the challenges that are yet to come, which I admit I don't know yet.
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