EU delays carmaker 2025 CO₂ targets just as EV sales rebound

The delay to EU car climate rules must mark the final concession to European carmakers which used unrepresentative 2024 sales data to argue for flexibilities, T&E has said. The EU Commission today formally proposed legislation to give carmakers until 2027 to comply with their 2025 emissions reduction targets. T&E believes the concession is a mistake as it was made despite battery electric car sales in Europe increasing by 28% over the first two months of the year as the industry prepared to comply with the existing 2025 target.

Julia Poliscanova, senior director for vehicles and emobility supply chains at T&E, said: “The EV sales rebound shows that the existing EU target is working. Require carmakers to sell more electric cars and the buyers will come. It is a mistake to change the rules in the middle of the game. This must be the last flexibility carmakers are given. Let’s allow the 2030 and 2035 targets to do their work and bring affordable EVs and cleantech investment into Europe.”