Is this outspoken visionary still full of ideas, or does the owner of Urban Mobility Systems from Oss feel somewhat like the Don Quixote of the energy transition?
2024 is slowly coming to an end. A perfect moment to sit down with Lars Kool over lunch, reflecting on a turbulent year and looking ahead to 2025. Is this outspoken visionary still full of ideas, or does the owner of Urban Mobility Systems from Oss feel somewhat like the Don Quixote of the energy transition?
After an impressive start, with major construction companies embracing emission-free machinery en masse, the sales of electric machines now seem to be stalling.
“In the Netherlands, yes. But globally, the world has woken up, and we’re now being overtaken from all sides. Of course, the Netherlands is a small player in the market, but as a testing ground for developing zero-emission solutions in construction, we should be doing a better job of capitalizing on that leadership role.”
Where is it going wrong?
“The road to zero is by no means a six-lane highway—it’s a bumpy one. The transition moves in waves. In the Netherlands, a lot is going well, such as including zero-emission construction equipment in tenders. There’s even a substantial subsidy fund to make these investments easier. But it’s a shame that the money is not used to reward the actual use of zero-emission machines rather than just their purchase. Right now, the available budget ends up with a relatively small group, where some opportunists apply for subsidies for both the development and purchase of machines. In that regard, I’m not proud of what we are collectively doing. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not talking about the technical side of electrification.”
Read the full (dutch) article here: 👉🏼 https://www.gww-bouw.nl/bouwmat/road-to-zero-is-er-een-met-hobbels/
