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Leaders from Europe’s electric vehicle sector have urged the European Commission to hold firm on its 2035 zero-emission target for new cars, warning that any softening of the rules would unsettle investment plans and risk widening the technology gap with China.
In an open letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, campaign coalitions E-Mobility Europe and ChargeUp Europe, supported by nearly 200 signatories including Swedish manufacturers Polestar and Volvo Cars, called on Brussels to resist mounting pressure to reopen the agreed phase-out of new combustion-engine vehicles.
The intervention comes ahead of an “automotive package” the Commission is expected to present on 16 December. According to draft plans seen by Reuters, the package could offer carmakers greater flexibility in meeting fleet CO₂ limits and adjust the effective ban on the sale of new CO₂-emitting cars from 2035, an outcome backed by several German manufacturers and the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
“Efforts to dilute” targets
The signatories said they were “deeply concerned about recent efforts to dilute your objectives”, citing intense lobbying from the wider automotive industry to extend the role of transitional technologies. These include plug-in hybrid models and vehicles running on so-called CO₂-neutral fuels, such as synthetic e-fuels and advanced biofuels.
Supporters of a looser approach argue that allowing such technologies beyond 2035 would ease the shift for manufacturers and consumers at a time of slower-than-expected battery-electric sales, high purchase costs and uneven charging infrastructure. A group of six member states – Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Slovakia – has formally asked the Commission to allow hybrids and low-carbon fuels to continue after 2035, citing industrial competitiveness concerns.
The EV-focused signatories take the opposite view. In their letter they argue that reopening the legislation would inject uncertainty into long-term product and supply-chain planning, slow the scale-up of charging networks and weaken the bloc’s position against Chinese rivals that are expanding rapidly in global markets. “Every delay in Europe only widens the gap with China,” the letter states.
Diverging industry messages
Large parts of Europe’s traditional car industry have pressed for a revision of the 2035 rules to recognise investments in e-fuels and other lower-carbon technologies. Germany’s coalition government has called for a “technology-open” approach, a position that has been echoed by EU transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who has said the Commission will be “open to all technologies” when reviewing car and van CO₂ standards.
By contrast, the EV-aligned companies and infrastructure operators argue that diverging signals from policymakers risk weakening Europe’s regulatory credibility. They point out that the 2035 zero-emission target was only adopted in 2023, following lengthy negotiations between member states and the European Parliament, and forms a central part of the bloc’s pathway to climate neutrality by 2050.
Investment and competitiveness at stake
Supporters of a strict phase-out say clear, stable rules are essential for planning factories, battery plants, charging corridors and grid upgrades.
At the same time, European manufacturers face mounting pressure from Chinese EV makers that have expanded sales across the bloc with cheaper models, supported by large domestic production and an integrated battery supply chain. The European Commission has already launched an anti-subsidy investigation into imports of Chinese-built battery electric vehicles, warning that subsidised competition could threaten the EU’s automotive base.
For Brussels, the automotive package has become a focal point for wider questions about how to balance climate objectives with industrial policy. Officials are weighing demands from governments worried about jobs and consumer costs against the need to deliver on existing climate legislation and give a clear signal to investors.
Next steps in Brussels
The Commission’s proposals, once published, will need approval from both the European Parliament and EU governments. Some officials have suggested that the auto-sector measures could yet slip into 2026, alongside separate plans to expand the bloc’s carbon border tariff to cover additional manufactured goods.
Until then, lobbying on all sides is set to continue as Europe’s EV manufacturers, charging companies and component suppliers seek to convince policymakers that keeping the 2035 zero-emission target intact is central to the bloc’s long-term industrial and climate strategy.
