ACEA wants two-year delay of 2025 emissions target

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has called on the European Union to use emergency regulation to delay its 2025 emissions targets for automakers by two years.

It has also urged the European Commission to bring forward the CO2 regulation reviews for light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles, currently scheduled for 2026 and 2027 respectively, to 2025.

The ACEA, which is the main lobbying and standards group of the automobile industry in the European Union, says the continuous trend of shrinking market share for battery electric cars in the EU should send an extremely worrying signal to industry and policymakers.

According to the ACEA, EU rules targeting overall CO2 fleet emission of about 95 grams per kilometre — down from 106.6 g/km in 2023 — would require automakers to either halt production of around two million cars or be exposed to fines that could reach €13 billion for passenger cars and another €3 billion for vans.

In a recent statement, the ACEA said the transition to zero emission is “highly challenging”, adding that concerns about meeting the 2025 CO2 emission reduction targets for light-duty vehicles are “on the rise”.

“The EU is still missing crucial conditions for the mass market adoption of zero-emission cars and vans: charging and hydrogen refilling infrastructure, as well as a competitive manufacturing environment, affordable green energy, purchase and tax incentives, and a secure supply of raw materials, hydrogen and batteries. Economic growth, consumer acceptance, and trust in infrastructure have not developed sufficiently either,” it said.

“The current rules do not account for the profound shift in the geopolitical and economic climate over the past years and the law’s inherent inability to adjust for real-world developments further erodes the competitiveness of the sector.
“This raises the daunting prospect of either multi-billion-euro fines, which could otherwise be invested in the zero-emission transition, or unnecessary production cuts, job losses, and a weakened European supply and value chain at a time when we face fierce competition from other automaking regions.

“The industry cannot afford to wait for the review of the CO2 regulations in 2026 and 2027, we need urgent and meaningful action now to reverse the downward trend, restore EU industry competitiveness and reduce strategic vulnerabilities,” the statement read.​

The industry lobby also said an earlier review for heavy-duty vehicles is “absolutely critical” to ensure vital conditions like infrastructure for trucks and buses are scaled up in time.