In a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kaellenius and Matthias Zink, head of powertrain and chassis at Schaeffler, said they remain committed to the EU’s 2050 net-zero goal.
But they warned manufacturers face near-total dependency on Asian batteries, uneven charging infrastructure, higher manufacturing costs and U.S. tariffs, adding that legal mandates and penalties alone would not drive the transition.
They argued the bloc must go beyond new-vehicle CO2 limits — 55% cuts from 2021 levels for cars and 50% for vans by 2030, and 100% for both by 2035 — calling the 2030–35 targets “simply no longer feasible.”
Electric cars comprise about 15% of new EU car sales, with vans at 9%.
“EVs will lead the charge, but there must also be space for (plug-in) hybrids, range extenders, highly efficient internal-combustion engine vehicles, hydrogen and decarbonized fuels,” the letter said.
CO2 rules for heavy-duty trucks and buses should also be reviewed, they added.
Von der Leyen is due to host automotive executives on Sept. 12 to discuss the sector, which faces Chinese competition in electric vehicles and U.S. tariffs.
In March, the Commission gave automakers extra time to meet CO2 reduction targets initially set for 2025.
Members of von der Leyen’s center-right grouping have also called for the EU to withdraw its 2035 ban on combustion engines.
(jh)
Source: Reuters