Overview
- ACEA chief Sigrid de Vries said the 2035 zero‑CO2 target for new cars is not achievable under current conditions and urged a five‑year compliance window from 2028 to 2032.
- Automakers asked to preserve roles for plug‑in hybrids and extended‑range vehicles beyond 2035 and called for clear rules on renewable fuels.
- EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra reaffirmed that Brussels will not reopen the 2035 objective but will adapt implementation details and consider new technologies and decarbonised fuels.
- Hoekstra said forthcoming proposals include a Battery Booster for domestic production, a plan to decarbonise company fleets, and an initiative for affordable small electric cars.
- After a German auto summit, Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to work to avoid a hard cut‑off in 2035, echoing industry and union calls for a longer transition and citing an industry view that EVs may reach only about 50% market share by 2035.