“These targets create clarity for the car industry and stimulate innovation and investments for car manufacturers.
“Purchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers and a second-hand market will emerge more quickly. It makes sustainable driving accessible to everyone.”
Numerous manfacturers have existing electrification targets that put them on pace to comply with the new legislation.
Ford, for example, plans for its European line-up to be enitrely zero-emissions-capable (plug-in hybrid or battery-electric) by 2026 and all-electric by 2030. The American firm launched its first series-production EV, the Mustang Mach-E, in 2021, and will follow it with a mainstream electric crossover based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform later this year.
French brands Renault and Peugeot also aim to go all-electric in Europe by 2030, while Volkswagen aims to reduce its carbon emissions per vehicle by 40% compared with 2018 levels by 2030.
Premium makers have also made headway on electrification: 41% of Volvo‘s 615,121 new car sales in 2022 were plug-in hybrid (23%) and electric (18%), while Mini‘s best-selling model was the Mini Electric.
Other manufacturers, such as Dacia, have plotted a different course: the Renault-owned company plans to meet CO2 targets by building lightweight, fuel-efficient ICE cars, critical to maintaining the brand’s price advantage.
