The background is the EU’s step-by-step plan to reduce CO₂ emissions from new cars. The fleet targets of the individual manufacturers, which should be achieved on average for all new cars, will fall by 15 percent in 2025. According to the industry, this can only be achieved with more electric cars, which lower the average. If the goal is missed, there is a risk of high fines. “Politicians have given the industry guidelines without the necessary infrastructure being in place and without thinking about whether customers will go along with it,” criticized Pötsch. In order for e-mobility to become established, more public support is needed. Instead, people are unsettled by debates about electric and combustion engines. “But we need clarity and reliability in Europe.” Due to the slow ramp-up of e-mobility, several manufacturers have already called for the goals to be softened or at least extended in time. BMW boss Oliver Zipse had already called for a change in the spring, and VW CEO Oliver Blume also called for “appropriate CO₂ targets”. With a view to the stricter CO₂ fleet target for 2025, Blume admitted at the beginning of August: “There is still a gap to be closed.” He definitely wants to avoid any fines that would be due if the target is missed. “Every euro that is paid for fines is a poorly invested euro.”
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