VEHICLES & MARKETS
The Platform for Electromobility welcomes the European Commission’s plans to present, by the end of 2025, a legislative proposal aimed at accelerating the uptake of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in corporate fleets.
The Commission’s communication on this initiative, referred to as “Greening Corporate Fleets,” clearly outlines the strategic importance and objectives of the proposal. With this document, the Platform presents the perspective of the electric mobility industrial ecosystem in response to the remaining open questions ahead of the legislative proposal. These include considerations regarding the type of legislative instrument, the scope and inclusion of light and collective electric transport, the integration of an ecoscore to complement the “Greening Corporate Fleets” initiative, and the potential use of funds collected through penalties or enforcement mechanisms.
1. Legal instrument - Regulation vs. Directive
We first wish to underline the urgency of this measure: there is a critical need to boost demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in order to support EU-based automotive manufacturers in meeting CO₂ standards targets. This urgency should guide the choice of legal instrument.
A directive would not be sufficiently timely, as its transposition into national law would likely delay market impact in some Member States until the 2030s, far too late to support EU-based manufacturers in meeting the 2035 targets.
A regulation, by contrast, would provide greater legal certainty and allow for faster implementation. It would offer clarity for both manufacturers and companies purchasing fleet vehicles. Such certainty, alongside ambitious CO₂ standards for new cars and vans, will ensure that the supply of EVs can meet the EU’s climate ambitions and avoid competition among companies for a limited pool of ZEVs.
The Clean Vehicles Directive should be integrated into this new framework, following a one-in-one-out approach, which would streamline obligations for both public and private fleet operators. Coordination between the Clean Vehicles Directive and the upcoming corporate fleet initiative must also be ensured, with a view to harmonising obligations. In the longer term, the integration of both frameworks into a single, comprehensive regulation could be considered—provided it supports the objective of simplifying requirements and improving overall policy coherence.
2. Trajectories – Segments & Scopes
We recommend setting a target that effectively accelerates demand for ZEVs and facilitates the development of a second-hand EV market, while remaining aligned with market realities. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) represent the most straightforward and efficient solution for decarbonising road transport for passenger cars. Therefore, the definition of ZEVs under this initiative should clearly reflect this assessment.
We believe the legislation should cover all fleet segments: company cars, rentals, leasing, true fleets (including taxis, ride-hailing, carsharing, logistics vans, buses and coaches), and trucks. We highlight the importance to establish a clear distinction between the cars and the vans. Market realities, usages and greening speed (including production capacities in Europe) are different. Moreover, this regulation should also include measures to increase demand for zero emission heavy duty vehicles.
3. Scope – Light, Shared and Collective Mobility
We recommend adopting a broad and forward-looking perspective on the scope of the initiative, to reflect the rapidly evolving landscape of corporate mobility options and solutions. As in wider society, all means of transport that are meeting companies’ mobility needs should be promoted, from light electric vehicles (LEVs) and electric collective transports to electric vehicles (LDV & HDV). In the context of company-provided mobility solutions (e.g. benefit-in-kind schemes), the focus should be on reducing emissions from overall corporate mobility, including solutions such as shared mobility vouchers or public transport subscriptions.
To support this transition, particularly for SMEs, we recommend that the Commission provide access to tailored advisory services to help design sustainable corporate mobility strategies.
4. Supporting more sustainable, smarter, EU-made solutions
In parallel with the urgent need to accelerate EV uptake, we support the introduction of an EU-level ecoscore to guide fleet purchasing decisions toward the most sustainable vehicles. An ecoscore, defined in close coordination with stakeholders, would enable fleet purchasers to assess the overall sustainability of vehicles beyond their ZEV status.
Such a tool could also be used to support EU-based vehicle and batteries manufacturing by rewarding production practices aligned with EU environmental and social standards, thereby strengthening European industrial competitiveness.
In addition, the fleet mandate should, without delaying the implementation of the initiative, encourage the deployment of smart and bidirectional charging technologies. These are essential to enabling a grid-friendly rollout of electromobility by turning vehicles into active grid assets, enhancing energy system resilience, better integrating renewables into the grid, and enabling cost savings for both users and the electric system. Given their predictable usage patterns and focus on cost-efficiency, corporate fleets are ideal early adopters of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technologies and should be at the forefront of this development.
We also recommend calling on the Commission and Member States to assess and address regulatory barriers to unlocking the flexibility potential of corporate fleets, and to develop and exchange guidance and best practices to this end. Companies above a certain size should be encouraged to evaluate how their fleet could contribute to, and benefit from, demand-side flexibility, including through a clear cost-benefit analysis.
5. Social fairness – Targeting funds toward EU-wide purchase scheme and infrastructures
To enforce the legislation, the first step should be the establishment of a clear reporting system to track new vehicle procurement. As a follow-up, an incentive and/or penalty framework should
be created. Where possible, we recommend that any funds collected through enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance be redirected to support the purchase of all types of fully electric vehicles and related infrastructure, notably for local authorities and SMEs. This would enhance both the social fairness and the overall effectiveness of the initiative. Alternatively, such penalties could be channelled into the Social Climate Fund.
Beyond the corporate fleet initiative
FISCAL INCENTIVES – A KEY DRIVING FACTOR
We believe that no fleet greening initiative will be effective without the right enabling conditions and enforcement mechanisms. Fiscal policy remains one of the most powerful levers for accelerating the transition to clean corporate mobility. To ensure the success of the fleet greening initiative, the Commission should strongly encourage Member States to align their tax systems in support of all types of electric vehicles. Well-designed fiscal incentives (such as tax deductions, exemptions, or reduced benefit-in-kind rates) have proven to be among the most effective tools for driving behavioural change in the corporate mobility sector.
INFRASTRUCTURE – UNLOCKING BROADER BENEFITS
This regulation will catalyse substantial investments in EVs and the charging infrastructure needed to support them. As companies electrify their fleets, the total number of EVs in both primary and secondary markets will increase, thereby accelerating the deployment of charging points, at depots and workplaces, as well as at public and semi-public charging stations, with benefits for all EV drivers