“The EU risks missing the turn on its automotive transition”, warned the European automobile manufacturers (ACEA) and automotive suppliers (CLEPA) in a letter sent to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Wednesday 27 August. They set out their expectations for the forthcoming strategic dialogue on the future of the automotive industry on Friday 12 September.
In their view, “Europe’s transformation plan for the auto industry must move beyond idealism to acknowledge current industrial and geopolitical realities”. “Meeting the rigid car and van CO2 targets for 2030 and 2035 is, in today’s world, simply no longer feasible”, they added (see EUROPE 13636/13).
They recommend recalibrating the current CO2 emissions reduction trajectory to ensure that climate objectives are met while preserving industrial competitiveness, social cohesion and the strategic resilience of supply chains.
To do this, they propose tackling emissions from the existing car fleet by speeding up its renewal, extending fiscal and purchase incentives, and introducing targeted measures for lorries and buses.
Link to the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/i5u (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)