AUTONEWS

EU carmakers demand change to unattainable CO2 emissions targets

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

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will host automotive industry leaders on September 12 to discuss a future in which they face the twin threats of Chinese competition in electric vehicles and US tariffs.

In a letter to von der Leyen, Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius and Matthias Zink, executive director of powertrain and chassis at Schaeffler AG, said European manufacturers are committed to achieving the EU’s goal of net zero emissions 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 EU must move away from targets for new vehicles, they said, 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 around 15% of new vehicles in the EU, while vans account for 9%.

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

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

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

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

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

EU car CO2 targets ‘no longer feasible,’ industry warns...European automotive manufacturers (ACEA) and suppliers (CLEPA) warned on Wednesday that the EU’s CO2 emission targets for cars are "no longer feasible."

"Meeting the rigid car and van CO2 targets for 2030 and 2035 is, in today’s world, simply no longer feasible," auto industry leaders wrote in a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The letter was signed by Mercedes-Benz CEO and ACEA President Ola Kallenius, along with Schaeffler CEO of Powertrain and Chassis and CLEPA President Matthias Zink.

"The current CO2 reduction path in road transport must be recalibrated to ensure it delivers on EU climate goals whilst also safeguarding Europe’s industrial competitiveness, social cohesion, and the strategic resilience of its supply chains," they noted.

Ahead of a Sept. 12 meeting with automotive executives, Kallenius and Zink warned von der Leyen that the EU risks falling behind in its automotive transition without a more holistic and pragmatic policy plan.

"Europe faces near-total dependency on Asia for the battery value chain, an uneven distribution of charging infrastructure, higher manufacturing costs -- including electricity prices -- and burdening tariffs from key trade partners, such as the 15% duty on EU vehicle exports to the US," they stressed.

Underlining that they are being asked to transform with their hands tied behind their back, Kallenius and Zink said that the battery-electric vehicle market share is "still far from where it needs to be."

"The upcoming revision of the CO2 standards for cars and vans is an opportunity to correct the course and anchor in law much-needed flexibility, industrial perspective, and a market-driven approach. It is clear by now that penalties and legal mandates alone will not drive the transition," they added.

Kallenius and Zink stressed that "technology neutrality" should be the core regulatory principle, enabling all technologies to contribute to decarbonization.

"Better leverage of key transition technologies, such as plug-in hybrid vehicles, will be critical in meeting decarbonization goals, engaging consumers in the green transformation and serving export markets where demand for this technology will remain high," they explained.

Kallenius and Zink further urged the Commission to safeguard Europe’s production capacity and technological know-how.

"Without policies that enhance European competitiveness to maintain manufacturing, the transition risks hollowing out our industrial base, putting innovation, quality employment, and supply chain resilience at risk. The world has changed drastically since the current direction has been set -- and the EU’s strategy for the automotive sector must change with it," they added.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beelink Mini PC GTI14 AI, Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (16T/22C, up to 5.1GHz), 64GB DDR5 2TB PCIe4.0 SSD Mini Desktop, Dual 2.5G LAN/Fingerprint Sensor/WiFi 7/BT5.4/USB4.0/145W PSU Gaming PC: https://amzn.to/4mdnUWJ

Beelink Mini PC SER9 Pro, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370 (12C/24T, 5.1GHz), 32G LPDDR5X 8000MHz 1TB PCIe4.0, Radeon 890M 16-Core 2900MHz Gaming Computer, Triple 4K @240Hz, USB4/DP/HDMI/2.5G LAN, AI: https://amzn.to/4oBxKTS

Beelink Mini PC, Mini S12 Mini Computer 12th Gen Quad-Core N95, Desktop Computers 8G DDR4 RAM 256G SSD, Small PC 4K UHD Dual HDMI: https://amzn.to/41EHTFl