EU Automakers Are Calling For Revisions To The Unachievable CO2 Emission Targets

The European Union’s targets for reducing CO2 emissions from vehicles, including a 100 percent reduction for cars by 2035, are no longer achievable, the leaders of European associations of car manufacturers and suppliers to the automotive industry said on Wednesday.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will receive the leaders of the automotive sector on September 12 to discuss the future in which they face double threats—Chinese competition in electric vehicles and US tariffs.

In the letter, von der Leyen, Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius and Matthias Zink, executive director for powertrains and chassis at Scheffler AG, said European manufacturers are committed to achieving the EU’s net-zero emissions target by 2050.

However, they stressed that EU manufacturers now face almost total dependence on Asia for batteries, as well as uneven charging infrastructure, higher production costs, and US tariffs.

The Union must move away from targets for new vehicles, they pointed out, such as reducing CO2 emissions by 55% compared to 2021 levels for cars and 50% for vans by 2030, and 100% for both segments by 2035.

Electric cars have a market share of about 15% of new vehicles in the EU, while the share of vans is at the level of 9%.

“Achieving the strict 2030 and 2035 CO2 targets for cars and vans is simply no longer feasible in today’s world,” they said in the letter.

Legal obligations and penalties would not encourage transition, they added.

“Electric vehicles will lead the way, but there must also be room for (plug-in) hybrids, range extenders, highly efficient vehicles with internal combustion engines, hydrogen, and decarbonized fuels,” the letter said.

CO2 regulations for heavy trucks and buses must also be reviewed, the two association leaders stressed.

In March, the Commission agreed to give carmakers extra time to meet CO2 reduction targets originally set for 2025.

• Also See: European Car Industry is On The Brick Of Collapse If CO2 Emissions Are Not Eased