The EU Commission's draft Auto Package previously included a passage stating that member states should receive specific mandates from 2030 to accelerate the adoption of electric company cars. In the European Parliament, the proposed binding quotas are now likely to be downgraded to voluntary targets.

Automobilwoche reports that the Conservatives (EVP), Social Democrats (S&D) and Liberals (Renew) have agreed on a joint position stating that EU member states will not, after all, be subject to binding electric vehicle quotas for corporate fleets. The trade publication cites representatives from these groups, collectively referred to as the Centre Platform. EVP Member of the European Parliament Jens Gieseke, Chair of the Transport Committee, told Automobilwoche: “For corporate fleets, we have found a good compromise with the other groups that protects fleet operators from major burdens.”

The background is that, in the ‘Auto Package’ presented by the EU Commission at the end of last year, the Commission had proposed imposing specific requirements on member states for the electrification of company cars starting in 2030 – with different targets for each country. The official reasoning was “to support the introduction of zero-emission and low-emission vehicles by large companies”. The inspiration for this section of the draft was Belgium’s successful company car taxation scheme, which has led to a sharp rise in EV sales in the country.

However, as a result of the compromise between the three groups, this aspect of the Auto Package is now set to be significantly watered down. The binding targets originally proposed in the draft (“binding targets”) are now to be reclassified as so-called aspirational commitments (“aspirational targets”).

Source link