Italy and Germany are encouraging other European Union member states to have a rethink over the EU’s proposals to phase out the new petrol and diesel car by 2035. They are both calling on the EU to abandon the current emissions standards on car CO2 as they are impossible to meet.
Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said on Thursday it was ‘clear’ that the proposed ban, which requires a zero emission level from vehicles’ exhausts, is ‘unachievable’. Both Italy and Germany have envisaged putting the early assessment of the law in 2025 at an EU Council meeting instead of the end of 2026.
Urso quoted concerns voiced by car makers, saying that Europe’s car industry could “lose tens of thousands of jobs” if the EU does not change its approach. He suggested that the EU has two options: either to stick to the emission targets and to create the appropriate climate for car manufacturers or to suspend the goals altogether.
This pressure comes only a couple of weeks after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the 2035 ban as “ideological madness.” On the other hand, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), with major car makers including BMW, Ford, and Volkswagen among its members, called on the EU to rethink, noting a sharp decline in electric car sales in the latest months.
In stressing the need for increased EV take-up, ACEA’s board pointed out that the following are currently lacking: charging points for electric cars, green energy at reasonable prise, purchase incentives, and reliable access to sourcing of raw materials and batteries.
Currently, car makers are required to bring down the average CO2 emissions of all the cars they sell annually to 115.1g/km; which will reduce to 93.6g/km next year. With the sales of electric vehicles falling, especially as bigger SUVs now lead the market, meeting this goal becomes even more difficult.
The European Commission has told the automotive industry that it has had time long enough to prepare for the changes. Still, Germany insisted on a provision in the 2035 plan to review it in 2026, and this will lead to the chance of keeping cars using synthetic ‘low-carbon’ fuels on the road. It is for this reason that the automotive industry is now calling for this review, alongside another for heavy goods vehicles, to be brought forward to 2025.
While industries in Italy and Germany insist on modifications, battery makers, which are linked to electrification, are calling on the EU to remain committed to emissions targets.
