T&E's yearly car CO2 report shows that as European EV sales are stagnating as China and other competitors gain a foothold in the market
After two consecutive years of CO2 emission drops – driven by the EU CO2 standards – 2022 has seen both a stagnation of emission reductions and a slowdown of electric car sales. With little regulatory incentive for carmakers to scale up electric vehicle production over the coming decade, policymakers risk putting the brakes on Europe’s e-mobility boom. Weak targets in the 2020s not only threaten the achievement of EU countries’ climate goals, but also put at risk European industrial competitiveness, leaving the door open for Chinese carmakers to capture the mass market for BEVs.
Europe must stand firm over its future targets for carmakers as it cannot afford to fall further behind China.
The decision to create a Europe-wide carbon price was right but creates significant political risk. The good news is it can still be fixed.
It's about time the EU requires parts of key products to be made locally – and nowhere is this more urgent than in the battery sector.