Global and European mobility leaders commit to Zero Emissions by 2035

• POLIS is bringing together CEOs from mobility platforms - including Arrival, Aurora, Lilium, Lime and Uber - to sign a joint manifesto calling on EU policymakers to accelerate green and digital transition targets.
• According to the manifesto, urban and regional mobility across the EU should be Zero Emissions by 2035, well ahead of the Commission's current target for 2050.
• Other policy recommendations include EU-wide regulations to increase access to shared, electric multimodal mobility options and policies that accelerate the introduction of transformative future modes of transport.
• Public and private mobility leaders will discuss the future of urban and regional mobility in Europe at a virtual event hosted by POLIS later today.

BRUSSELS, 21 SEPTEMBER 2021: POLIS, the leading European network of cities and regions on sustainable urban mobility, brings together global and European leaders from mobility platforms - including Arrival, Aurora, Lilium, Lime and Uber.

At the event, the mobility platforms launch a manifesto committing their organisations to help cities build safe, smart, sustainable and more accessible urban and regional mobility networks.

The manifesto calls on European policymakers to accelerate digital and green translation targets, with a focus on bringing forward Zero Emissions targets to 2035 and harmonising urban mobility regulations across the single market to increase access to shared, electric multimodal mobility built around public transport.

Other policy recommendations include helping public transport agencies to digitise their networks by leveraging new technologies such as on-demand routing, integrated ticketing and driverless fleets. Likewise, data-based technologies should be used to make transport networks more responsive, better connected and drive down costs, without breaching people’s fundamental right to privacy.

Progressive policies that lay the foundations for the introduction of transformative new technologies, such as autonomous vehicles and flying taxis, should also be accelerated to ensure urban and regional mobility networks meet the challenges of today while ensuring they serve the needs of tomorrow, according to the manifesto.

With nearly a quarter of Europe’s emissions produced by transport, it’s clear governments, policymakers, transport agencies and the private sector must work together to dramatically change the way people move in EU cities.

That’s why the manifesto commits each signatory to work in partnership with cities to help the Commission meet the commitments of its Smart and Sustainable Urban Mobility Strategy, Green Deal and Fit for 55 package ahead of time. This includes six commitments to rebuild urban and regional mobility for the 21st century:

1. Access to mobility for all: work with cities to increase access to all shared modes of urban and regional mobility, while striving to make electric and shared mobility more affordable than owning a car.
2. Public transport at the core: partner across the public and private sectors to complement and extend the reach of public transport with integrated mobility services and applications that give people the ability to switch seamlessly from one mode to another, both within and between cities.
3. Rapid decarbonisation: full decarbonisation of mobility networks by 2035 at the latest, and faster should the policy conditions allow.
4. Safety first: commitment to Vision Zero with safe streets for all, ensuring the latest passive and active safety technology is integrated into all modes of transport manufactured and operated on our platforms.
5. Smart and responsible use of data: helping cities leverage technologies to build smart, safe and more sustainable urban mobility networks, with transparency of our systems and without ever compromising user privacy.
6. Future-proof and resilient: working with policymakers and regulators to help inform the development of safety-based regulations that allow for the introduction of transformative modalities like autonomous vehicles and flying taxis.

Following the launch of the manifesto, representatives from the private sector, civil society, institutions, and governments, will discuss the future of urban and regional mobility in Europe at a virtual roundtable hosted by POLIS as part of the EU’s Mobility Week.

Commenting on the initiative, leaders from across the public and private sector said:

Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General, Polis: “Cities and regions are firmly committed to making urban mobility more sustainable and acting as major engines for the transport transformation we urgently need. We strongly believe in the potential of mobility innovations which are aligned with local policy goals, to jointly reach European targets and make cities and regions better places to live in. Dialogue and cooperation between the public and private sector will be key in tackling the major challenges we face and in capitalising on the momentum offered by COVID-19 to accelerate the transition.”

William Todts, Executive Director, T&E: “Europe must take the lead in achieving zero emissions mobility. In cities we need to reduce reliance on private cars and make sure the remaining ones are emissions free. Europe's plan to require 100% electric car sales in 2035 is welcome but a clever strategy is not just about electric cars, but about rapidly boosting electric kilometers. What we expect from Europe is an ambitious roadmap to shift to fully zero-emission urban fleets by the middle of this decade."

Mohamed Mezghani, Secretary General, UITP: “Mass public transport must remain firmly as the backbone of an integrated sustainable urban mobility system, combined with shared and on-demand modes to go one step further from the station and provide door-to-door seamless journeys. With the customer at the heart of decision making, we want to ensure liveable, green and thriving cities where mobility is accessible for all.”

Wayne Ting, CEO, Lime: "Climate change and COVID-19 have increased the urgency to rethink the way people move in cities and present an important opportunity to make meaningful and lasting change to our transport networks. Our multi-modal service, with electric bikes, scooters and mopeds offers riders a proven way to replace private car trips with sustainable alternatives. That said, reimagining urban mobility demands a collaborative approach between public and private sectors and Lime is proudly committed to continuing its part to decarbonize transportation."

Daniel Wiegand, CEO of Lilium: “Our transportation infrastructure today is broken. It is costly in personal time, space consumption and carbon emissions. Lilium’s goal is to radically transform the way the world moves with our electric vertical take-⁠off and landing jet. Our planned launch in 2024 will accelerate the decarbonization of air travel which we believe is not only necessary, but inevitable. We are committed to working with policymakers on policies that allow for safe, sustainable and affordable mobility.”

Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO, Uber: “We believe the key to making urban mobility safe, smart and more sustainable, is rapidly replacing private cars with better access to shared, electric mobility built around public transport. Uber’s commitment to operate a zero emissions platform in Europe by 2030 is an important goal, but we will not achieve it alone. Now we need EU cities to support bold policies that make the European Green Deal a reality by helping more people switch from private to public, shared and electric transport.”

Avinash Rugoobur, President, Arrival: “Accelerating the global mass adoption of affordable best in class EV’s is critical to reducing emissions in our cities and bringing clean air to everyone. Arrival's affordable zero-emission mobility solutions built in local Microfactories are helping businesses and cities meet their sustainability goals and supercharging their communities.  We are committed to working together to have the radical impact we need today to make urban transportation more desirable, more sustainable and more equitable than ever before.”

Chris Urmson, CEO, Aurora: “At Aurora, we’re on a mission to deliver the benefits of self-driving safely, quickly, and broadly. We are working with private and public partners to transform transportation — to make it more accessible, more productive, more dependable, and — crucially — much safer than it is today. The work we do and the partnerships we build all serve to create a safer, greener, and more accessible future.”

Notes to editors

About the manifesto: The manifesto was launched today with the following signatories, committing companies to action, urging European policymakers to ensure that current and future challenges are guided by these guardrails, and for others to sign up to these principles.

• Avinash Rugoobur, President of Arrival.
• Chris Urmson, CEO of Aurora.
• Daniel Wiegand, CEO of Lilium.
• Wayne Ting, CEO of Lime.
• Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber.

About the roundtable: Later today POLIS will host a roundtable bringing together 10 leaders from the private and public sectors to discuss the future of urban and regional mobility in Europe. This will include:

• Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General, Polis
• David Belliard, Deputy Mayor, Paris
• Miguel Gaspard, Deputy Mayor, Lisbon
• Matthew Baldwin, Deputy Director General, Directorate General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
• William Todts, Executive Director, Transport & Environment
• Alexandra Reinagl, Vice-President of UITP
• Wayne Ting, CEO, Lime
• William Earle A’Hern, VP Business Development, Lilium
• Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO, Uber
• Avinash Rugoobur, President, Arrival
• Chris Urmson, CEO, Aurora

About POLIS: POLIS is the leading network of European cities and regions working together to develop innovative technologies and policies for local transport. Within POLIS, decision makers from local and regional authorities are provided with the necessary information and tools for making sustainable mobility a reality. For more information: www.polisnetwork.eu.

About UITP: The Union Internationale des Transports Publics is the International Association of Public Transport and a passionate champion of sustainable urban mobility. Established in 1885, with more than 135 years of history, it is the only worldwide network to bring together all public transport stakeholders and all sustainable transport modes.

About Transport & Environment: T&E is Europe’s leading clean transport campaign group. Our vision is a zero-emission mobility system that is affordable and has minimal impacts on our health, climate and environment.

About Lime: Lime's mission is for a future of transport that is shared, electric and zero-emission. As the world's leading provider of shared electric vehicles, Lime partners with cities to deploy electric bikes, scooters and mopeds to serve any trip under five miles. One of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential Companies in 2021, Lime has powered more than 250 million rides in more than 180 cities across five continents, spurring a new generation of clean alternatives to car ownership.  In Europe, we provide our services across the whole continent including Paris, Berlin, London, Madrid, Rome, Oslo or Budapest. Learn more at li.me.

About Lilium: Lilium is creating a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, regional transportation for people and goods. Using the 7-Seater Lilium Jet, an all-electric vertical take-off and landing jet, offering leading capacity, low noise and high performance with zero operating emissions, Lilium is accelerating the decarbonization of air travel. Working with aerospace, technology and infrastructure leaders, and with planned launch networks announced in Germany, the United States and Brazil, commercial operations are projected to begin in 2024. Lilium’s 700+ strong team includes approximately 400 aerospace engineers and a leadership team responsible for delivering some of the most successful aircraft in aviation history. Founded in 2015, Lilium’s headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Munich, Germany, with teams based across Europe and the U.S. To learn more, visit www.lilium.com.

About Uber: Uber’s mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 10 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.

About Arrival: Arrival was founded in 2015 with a mission to make air clean by replacing all vehicles with affordable electric solutions - produced by local Microfactories. Six years and over 2,000 people later, we are driving the transition to EVs globally by creating products that are zero-emission, more desirable, more sustainable and more equitable than ever before. Our in-house technologies enable our radical new method of design and production using rapidly-scalable, local Microfactories around the world. This method facilitates cities and governments in achieving their sustainability goals whilst also supercharging their communities. We are a technology company, a product company, a supply chain company, an automotive company, a mobility company, a fintech company and a service company - all rolled into one with a shared goal of true sustainability. This vertically integrated business model is how we can have the radical impact our world needs today. Arrival (NASDAQ: ARVL) is a joint stock company governed by Luxembourg.

About Aurora:  Aurora is delivering the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly. In 2017, leading autonomy experts – Chris Urmson, Drew Bagnell, and Sterling Anderson – came together to accelerate the adoption of driverless vehicles by developing the Aurora Driver and a multifaceted network of manufacturing, mobility, logistics, and fleet management partners. Created from industry-leading hardware and software, the Aurora Driver is built to safely move goods and people. Aurora is backed by Amazon and Sequoia, among others, and has partnerships with leading transportation companies including Toyota, Volvo, PACCAR, Uber, FCA, and Hyundai Group. It tests its vehicles in the Bay Area, Pittsburgh, and Dallas and has offices in those cities as well as in Bozeman, Seattle, Denver, and Detroit. To learn more, visit https://aurora.tech.

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