Posted on 31 Jan 2025
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen met on Thursday several ceos of light- and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers, kickstarting a dialogue seeking “urgent action.”
“The European automotive industry is at a pivotal moment, and we acknowledge the challenges it faces,” says von der Leyen. “The fundamental question we need to answer together is what we still miss to unleash the innovative power of our companies and ensure a robust and sustainable automotive sector. Today marks the beginning of a dialogue that will help us navigate the changes ahead.”
Automotive manufacturers and suppliers, voiced by trade body ACEA, say that Europe’s global competitiveness crisis, a slower-than-anticipated market update of zero-emission vehicles, and the lack of enabling conditions “significantly hinder” the EU’s progress towards zero-emission mobility targets. They stress the urgency for remedies, and note that for the dialogue to succeed, all manufacturers and suppliers with substantial industrial footprint in Europe should be actively involved.
Brussels also started a public consultation to gather wider input on challenges and potential solutions from all interested parties. Outcomes will be used to develop the so-called Action Plan, which will be presented by sustainable transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas on 5 March.
As previously reported, some of the potential solutions may include a pan-European EV purchase incentive to tackle lower demand, Kallanish notes.
ACEA has also been lobbying for the EC to review its zero-emission vehicle targets, warning the hefty penalties manufacturers are exposed to would cripple the industry.
“The EU auto industry remains fully committed and economically invested in the transition towards zero-emission mobility. But the only way for this transition to succeed is to make it a market- and demand-driven transformation,” says Ola Källenius, ceo of Mercedes-Benz and ACEA president. “The reality check to the current European Green Deal will not slow us down, but rather propel this transition by removing bottlenecks and introducing necessary flexibilities.”
Källenius was joined by 22 key industry players, including manufacturers BMW Group, Daimler Truck, Renault Group, Volvo Cars, Volkswagen Group and IVECO. Associations for European consumers, automotive suppliers, and transport workers were also present.
Source:Kallanish
