The European Union should uphold its 2025 CO2 emission targets and introduce incentives for electric vehicle (EV) purchases instead of waiving fines for automakers that fail to meet the targets, European industry group E-Mobility Europe said on Monday.
Citing research from British firm New Automotive, the group said that the 2025 rules could drive a nearly 65% increase in fully electric vehicle sales across the EU this year. Without the regulations, EV sales would likely rise by only 33%.
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“With targets in place, there will be a massive push to sell electric cars this year,” said E-Mobility Europe’s Secretary General Chris Heron. “If Europe’s governments get on board, realistically we can end up with a year where fines don’t need to be issued.”
Under the EU’s 2025 emissions targets, more than 20% of automakers’ sales must be fully electric. However, EVs made up just 13.6% of new car sales in 2024. The European auto industry has estimated potential fines of up to 15 billion euros ($16.3 billion) for missing the targets and has called on the European Commission to waive them.
Heron suggested that funding for EV incentives could come from tariffs imposed on Chinese-made EVs or unspent coronavirus relief funds. Several EV models priced under 25,000 euros, including the Renault R5, Fiat Grand Panda, Hyundai Inster, and Volkswagen ID.2, are set to launch this year.
Fastned CEO Michiel Langezaal warned that removing the targets could undermine investment in EV charging infrastructure. “It’s incredibly important to keep the targets in place to ensure the entire industry transitions, otherwise that infrastructure cannot be built up,” he said.
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E-Mobility Europe, formerly known as Avere, represents companies across the EV sector, including Tesla, Chinese battery maker CATL, and Dutch charging network Fastned.
