Carmakers urge Brussels to take action amid EU green target shambles
The ongoing decline in market share for battery electric cars in the EU is a deeply concerning signal for both the industry and policymakers.
European carmakers have asked Brussels for “urgent support measures” to help them cope with the tightening of CO2 emission standards in 2025.
The carmakers believe they are unable to meet the standards, particularly because of the erosion of electric car sales.
The ongoing decline in market share for battery electric cars in the EU is a deeply concerning signal for both the industry and policymakers.
On Thursday, the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA) “calls on the European institutions to propose urgent support measures before the new CO2 targets for cars and vans come into force in 2025,” it said in a statement.
Due to the rise in demand for electric vehicles and improvements in combustion engines, carmakers have so far complied with the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard, which requires them to meet an annual average of CO2 emissions per car sold, or face heavy fines.
However, the continuous decline in electric car sales since the end of 2023 (12.6% of sales in Europe over the past twelve months compared to 13.6% a year earlier) complicates matters.
ACEA, chaired by Renault's CEO Luca de Meo stated: “We are playing our part in the transition through vehicle electrification, the manufacturers defend themselves, but we lack essential conditions to stimulate the production and adoption of zero-emission vehicles: charging and hydrogen distribution infrastructure, as well as a competitive production environment and affordable green energy.
”This raises the discouraging prospect of billions of euros in fines, which could be better invested in the transition to carbon neutrality, or unnecessary production cuts, job losses, and a weakening of the European supply and value chain."
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He added: “We urgently call on the European Commission to bring forward to 2025 the revisions of CO2 regulations for light and heavy vehicles, currently scheduled for 2026 and 2027 respectively.”
The European auto industry is committed to the Paris Agreement and the EU's 2050 transport decarbonisation goals, having invested billions in electrification to bring zero-emission vehicles to market.
The latest car registration data from ACEA, released today, further confirms that the electric car market in the EU is now on a continuous downward trajectory.
