ACEA wants two-year delay of 2025 emissions targets

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) wants the European Union to use emergency regulation to delay its 2025 emissions targets for automakers by two years, according to a new report by Bloomberg.

A draft proposition from the ACEA, which Bloomberg says it saw, reportedly states that 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.

Bloomberg claims the informal draft says: “The EU is in a crisis caused by low consumer demand for EVs and unfair competition from third country EV manufacturers, meaning that the EU industry will not be able to meet these reduction targets.

“The EU industry will have little choice but to significantly cut production, which threatens millions of jobs in the EU, harms consumers, and adversely impacts the EU’s competitiveness and economic security.”

In a public statement on its website, 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,” the ACEA said yesterday in a statement.