Public Consultation
Ensuring a clear path to zero-emission mobility:Our response to the Strategic Dialogue
The Platform for Electromobility reaffirms strong support for a clear and consistent regulatory framework guiding the environmental transition in transport. Recent political debates risk undermining the EU’s firm decision to phase out combustion engines by 2035, creating uncertainty that could jeopardize both the European automotive industry transition and the continent’s broader decarbonization objectives. Any deviation from the established trajectory would be a step backward, delaying investment and weakening Europe’s leadership in clean mobility.
The 2035 emission reduction targets provide essential certainty for manufacturers, investors, fleet owners, and infrastructure planners, ensuring that the necessary conditions for the large-scale deployment of electromobility are in place. Instead of revisiting settled decisions, efforts should focus on supporting the automotive sector in meeting its commitments, including by accelerating the deployment of charging infrastructure, creating demand-side measures, and securing access to critical raw materials.
As we advance towards zero-emission mobility, we remain concerned by attempts to divert focus and investment away from electrification towards unproven and inefficient alternatives, such as CO₂-neutral fuels (e-fuels) for road transport. This would not only delay the transition but also create additional costs for consumers and industry.
We reiterate our full support for the EU regulatory framework aimed at achieving 2035 zero-emission targets for cars and vans.
Concerning the inter-institutional agreement confirmed by recital 11 of the CO2 Standards Regulation on the introduction of synthetic fuels beyond this date, if there were to be any role for alternative fuels, it should be minimal and limited to vehicles running exclusively on 100% climate neutral RFNBOs.
To enable the transition to a decarbonised transport system, we emphasise the urgent need for a swift and ambitious implementation of the AFIR and the EPBD. Ensuring a timely and effective roll-out of a comprehensive charging ecosystem, encompassing public, private, and depot charging, is critical to supporting the increasing adoption of EVs. This requires not only the deployment of infrastructure in line with AFIR’s minimum targets but also a coordinated approach across Member States to remove administrative and financial barriers that could slow down progress.
Regarding demand, corporate fleets owners and operators are key players given their significant share of total vehicle sales and annual mileage. Establishing legally binding targets for fleet electrification would create market certainty, accelerate the uptake of zero-emission vehicles, and increase affordability by accelerating creation of second-hand market for EVs.