Crowds Of European Automotive Manufacturers Ask For Emission Rules Relaxation To The European Union

JAKARTA The European Automakers Association (ACEA) and spare parts suppliers have urged the European Union (EU) to relax strict emissions regulations. This insistence was conveyed in an open letter by the CEO of Mercedes-Benz, Ola K jullenius, who also serves as president of ACEA.

It is known that the controversial EU rule requires the automotive industry to reduce vehicle carbon emissions by 55 percent by 2030 and even prohibits the sale of internal combustion car (ICE) starting in 2035.

In the three-page letter, ACEA confirmed that the target was "no longer feasible" and had to be "re-calibrated." While committed to zero-emission targets by 2050, manufacturers are asking for more concessions to adapt to market conditions.

Launching CarBuzz, Friday, August 29, the main reason the manufacturer's concern is the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption (EV). Currently, EV sales in Europe are only 15 percent of total car sales. Porsche is a real example of this issue, where the company is delaying plans to build a battery factory and is considering keeping some ICE models longer than planned.

Manufacturers argue that they cannot continue to invest massively in EVs if market demand is not as fast as expected. They also highlight the great potential of hybrid technology as a more flexible transitional solution.

In addition to asking for leniency, the letter also urges EUs to provide more support, not only to manufacturers, but also to the EV industry as a whole. ACEA asks EUs to provide more incentives to consumers to buy EVs, then invest in charging infrastructure to facilitate ownership and use of EVs and relax some regulations related to supply chains and battery manufacturing in Europe.

Although the EU has strong reasons to act quickly in overcoming climate change, future meetings are expected to be a momentum to achieve compromise. The goal is clear is that emission rules can continue to run effectively, without threatening the business continuity of automotive manufacturers.