In 1969, exactly 50 years ago, some young visionaries enthusiastic about technology organised the first Electric Vehicle Symposium. Accordingly, the EVS32 was dignifiedly celebrated from 9 to 12 May 2019 in Lyon in the presence of the now elderly but still dynamic founding members.

Today, the Electric Vehicle Symposium is one of the world’s largest events in the field of electro-mobility and is held every 12 to 18 months on a different continent. After Stuttgart (2017) and Tokyo (2018), over 7,000 visitors from 65 countries came to France this year. In addition, there were several hundred exhibitors from 30 countries. More than 40 two- and four-wheeled electric vehicles (incl. fuel cell vehicles) were tested on the Ride-&-Drive site, and well over 300 scientific presentations were presented at the conference.

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The EVS has become more than “just” a scientific conference, because the market is calling. The variety of topics at the conference ranged from the latest battery technology and mobility as a service and autonomous driving to charging infrastructures, electrification of the drive train on rail and road, component and electronics development, urban mobility and hydrogen. Still: In all subject areas, the Electric Vehicle Symposium remained clearly battery electric.

With regard to the programme, one could almost think that hydrogen has just been assigned a place within the framework of “political correctness” or in the course of the integration of minorities. However, the hydrogen has spread well in this place, as is its physical nature. It remains to be seen whether this can be attributed to the current “hydrogen hype” (which is not only noticeable in France).

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Establishment of H₂ islands

At the opening ceremony, almost every prominent speaker mentioned the word “hydrogen” at least once – be it Elisabeth Borne, French Minister for the Energy Turnaround and Solidarity, Gilles Normand von Renault, Philippe Monloubou von Enedis, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Espen Hauge as President of Avere or Laurent Wauquiez, President of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Regional Council. In addition, several hydrogen islands were to be found at the EVS accompanying trade fair.

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read more in H2-international October 2019

Author: Uta Mummert