Car manufacturers wrote this letter to Brussels

The European Green Deal must come closer to reality and the recommendations of the Draghi report must be implemented

Photo by: ACEA

By: Eleonora Lilli

Jan 17, 2025 at 4:02am ET

Comment

'Act now to avoid irreparable damage to competitiveness as the growth of electric vehicles slows and trade tensions increase'. So begins the press note reporting that the newly appointed president of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), Ola Källenius, has written a letter to political leaders in Brussels in which he outlines the automotive sector's priorities to "ensure future competitiveness and drive decarbonisation".

Talks between political and industry leaders are scheduled to take place in January, and among the priorities, according to ACEA, is that the European Green Deal be amended to come closer to reality, and then that the recommendations of the Draghi report be implemented.

What car manufacturers are asking for

ACEA President Ola Källenius points out to politicians the priorities that car manufacturers see as crucial:

A realistic path to decarbonisation of the automotive industry, which is market-driven and not sanction-driven; finding a solution to the disproportionate costs of meeting the 2025 CO2 target for cars and vans;
implement the recommendations of the Draghi report: create a regulatory framework that strengthens the competitiveness of European industries;
promote new approaches to create global and mutually beneficial trade relations, so that the EU continues to benefit from free and fair trade.

"The European Green Deal must undergo a reality check and realignment, to make it less rigid and more flexible and to turn the decarbonisation of the automotive industry into a profitable green business model. I want to be clear: the EU automotive industry remains committed to the EU's 2050 climate neutrality target and the shift to zero-emission transport and mobility,' said Källenius, ACEA President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz.

The most urgent action

What the auto industry needs most now, according to ACEA, is for the EU to find a solution to ease the compliance burden for cars and vans against the 2025 CO2 target. As a reminder, those who exceed the new limit set by Brussels on the average CO2 emissions of cars will be forced to pay Europe hefty fines, in the order of €95 for every gram of CO2 exceeding the limit set for each group, all multiplied by the number of cars sold in the EU markets in a year.

"Political action today could not be more critical, as the latest provisional figures show a drop of almost 6% in registrations of new electric cars in 2024. Market share is also on the decline, down 1% to 13.6%, a far cry from the sharp increase needed to meet the stringent CO2 targets in the coming years."

La lettera dell'ACEA all'Europa

Tell us what you think!

View

Comments