Bringing forward the review of fleet limits – Promoting the drive transition

Against the backdrop of the upcoming car summit on Monday and in view of the continuing sharp decline in the market for battery electric vehicles, the Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDIK) supports ACEA’s position and calls for the planned reviews for fleet regulation for passenger cars and commercial vehicles to be brought forward by one year in each case. The currently planned fleet limits represent a further obstacle to the ramp-up of electromobility. Effective investment in the development of charging and refueling infrastructure is now important in order to promote the drive transition.

“The international vehicle manufacturers were the first to launch hybrid, electric and hydrogen vehicles on the market and have thus made a significant contribution to the powertrain revolution. They make climate-neutral mobility affordable. However, the key prerequisites for the acceptance of climate-neutral drives are lacking. Charging infrastructure and hydrogen filling stations are in great need of expansion, there is a lack of affordable green energy, purchase and tax incentives as well as political framework conditions that promote economic growth. We therefore need an early review of the CO2 fleet limits,” says VDIK President André Schmidt.

The VDIK strongly supports the Paris Agreement and the EU targets for the decarbonization of transport by 2050, but the CO2 fleet limits planned for 2025 are based on assumptions about the development of electromobility that have not materialized. The targets for fleet regulation and the framework conditions for the economy and infrastructure are now far apart. A few days ago, the Draghi report stated that the far-reaching transformation, the ambitious climate targets and the ongoing supply chain problems have already brought the automotive industry to the edge of its resilience. Additional fines running into billions for car and commercial vehicle manufacturers will only mean that fewer funds can be invested in the further development of innovative and emission-free vehicles. The Commission must now take concrete countermeasures, bring forward the reviews for passenger cars to 2025 and take the necessary measures to ramp up climate-neutral drive systems as quickly as possible.

The review for commercial vehicles must also be brought forward from 2027 to 2026 in order to make improvements to the infrastructure. This week at the IAA Transportation in Hanover, the commercial vehicle industry is presenting a large number of heavy trucks and vans that are climate-neutral. Here too, the biggest obstacle is not the lack of technology or the availability of vehicles, but the lack of charging and refueling infrastructure.