Adds reaction quote from E-Mobility in new paragraph 5.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen today promised "more flexibility" on CO2 targets, balancing "predictability and fairness" for firms that have already introduced low or zero emission vehicles.
Von der Leyen said the commission will stick to agreed CO2 emission reduction targets for fleets. But the commission will show "more pragmatism in these difficult times" and technology neutrality. She specifically promised a "focused" amendment to the bloc's CO2 standards regulation this month, to introduce "pragmatism" with respect to possible penalties for not complying with 2025 targets.
The EU's CO2 standards for manufacturers lay down an EU-wide fleet greenhouse gas target for light passenger vehicles and vans of 93.6 g/km until 2029. That represents a 15pc reduction compared with a 2021 baseline for cars. This falls to 49.5 g/km for 2030-34, a 55pc reduction, and 0g/km from 2035.
"Instead of annual compliance, companies will get three years," von der Leyen said, noting the principle of "banking and borrowing". "The targets stay the same; they have to fulfil the targets. It means more breathing space for industry and more clarity, and without changing the agreed targets," she said.
The proposal for flexibility on CO2 standards will "significantly delay" Europe's electric vehicle roll-out over the next two years, industry association E-Mobility Europe secretary-general Chris Heron said. He estimated that half a million fewer electric cars could enter the EU market in 2025. "That uncertainty is bad news for investors in EU charging infrastructure, battery production, and e-mobility overall," Heron said, noting legal and competitive issues from changing the rules midway.
The amendment would need to be agreed quickly by the European parliament and a qualified majority of EU member states. The EU biofuels and hydrogen industry last week expressed disappointment at a draft outline of the commission's forthcoming automotive industrial action plan, for not mentioning low and carbon neutral biofuels and hydrogen.
