Europe’s competitiveness crisis, a slow market uptake for zero-emission vehicles, and lack of enabling conditions hinder the EU’s progress towards zero-emission mobility targets, according to the CEOs of light- and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers – who participated in a kick-off meeting hosted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The industry leaders share “a sense of urgency.” An action plan is under development to speed up the process.
Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz and ACEA President:“The EU auto industry remains committed and economically invested in the transition towards zero-emission mobility. But the only way for this transition to succeed is to make it a market- and demand-driven transformation. The upcoming Action Plan must be built on this premise.”
Christian Levin, CEO of Traton, Scania and Chair of the Commercial Vehicle Board: “The transition of the automotive industry hinges on a shared understanding of challenges and opportunities between business and public policy. President von der Leyen was clear on the Commission’s ambition to cut the red tape while taking further action to speed up the green transition, thus securing European competitiveness. Commercial vehicle manufacturers expressed their support for ambitious climate targets but underlined that targets alone are not enough. Rapid infrastructure deployment and other enabling conditions, such as total cost of ownership (TCO) parity and demand-side measures, are essential.”
ACEA members stressed that for this dialogue to succeed, future meetings and discussions must actively involve all manufacturers and suppliers with substantial industrial footprints in Europe, and all thematic work strands must reflect the unique perspective of the heavy-duty segment. ACEA members will engage with relevant Commissioners on four thematic work strands to provide input into the upcoming Action Plan.
