The European Commission has adopted the EU Automotive Package, a set of legislative initiatives aimed at supporting the decarbonisation of road transport and the competitiveness of the automotive sector.
The EU Automotive Package contains important positive steps, notably on CO₂ standards for cars and vans. The approach to the greening of corporate fleets has become more pragmatic.
At the same time, several elements regarding feasibility, consistency and technology neutrality continue to raise concerns.
Pragmatism welcomed for HDVs, concerns remain for LCVs
IRU welcomes the decision to exclude HDVs from the greening of corporate fleets proposal, thereby avoiding vehicle purchase obligations in a segment where enabling conditions are not yet sufficiently developed.
IRU EU Director Raluca Marian said, “We appreciate that the Commission has, at this stage, taken on board our sector’s clear and consistent message on HDVs, while noting the explicit threat in the text that this may be revisited later.
“Excluding HDVs from the greening of corporate fleets reflects a realistic assessment of current market, infrastructure and operational conditions in the heavy-duty segment, where the large-scale deployment of zero-emission vehicles continues to be constrained by charging availability, grid capacity, energy costs and vehicle suitability for many use cases.”
However, IRU is seriously concerned about the approach taken for light commercial vehicles (LCVs). While LCVs are included through binding national targets for Member States, the practical effect of high and unevenly achievable targets risks forcing governments to introduce de facto purchase quotas at the national level.
“While conditions for a large-scale rollout are uneven across the EU, these mandates risk undermining both economic viability and social acceptance, while doing little to accelerate real-world decarbonisation,” said Raluca Marian.
The proposal also does not establish a harmonised EU-wide incentive framework, instead relying on fragmented national measures that risk distorting competition within the single market.
Breaking the tailpipe-only approach, but flexibility remains limited
There has been a notable conceptual shift in the revision of the CO₂ emission performance standards for cars and vans.
“For the first time, we see that the monopoly of the tailpipe approach has been broken, as manufacturers’ CO₂ emission reduction targets will be partially adjustable based on the use of sustainable renewable fuels,” said Raluca Marian.
This marks an important step away from a purely tailpipe-based approach and recognises that decarbonisation can also come from fuels, not only vehicles.
Additionally, setting a 90% emissions reduction target instead of 100% by 2035 for cars and vans represents a welcome opening for competing combustion technologies.
However, this opening remains too narrow to deliver meaningful flexibility. The definition of what qualifies as “clean” remains very restrictive, the system of credits is capped at a very low level, and the mechanism applies only from 2035 onwards.
“If the principle of technology neutrality genuinely applies, it is difficult to justify why this flexibility is postponed until 2035 and limited to marginal compliance adjustments,” said Raluca Marian. “Clean fuels should be part of the transition toolbox earlier and in a more balanced way.”
Regarding heavy-duty vehicles, IRU takes note of the targeted amendments intended to provide manufacturers with greater reassurance around compliance and potential fines towards 2030. While this clarification is positive, it is insufficient on its own.
IRU therefore looks forward to an anticipated and full revision of the heavy-duty CO₂ standards, synchronised with the revision for cars and vans, to ensure coherence across vehicle categories and alignment with infrastructure and energy readiness.
Next steps
IRU will work constructively with EU legislators, the European Parliament and the Council to further shape these proposals, ensuring that Europe’s road transport transition is effective, realistic and sustainable.
“We have already started working with legislators, bringing them together with transport operators at our event yesterday on the greening of corporate fleets at the European Parliament, at this crucial moment when the EU Automotive Package was adopted in Strasbourg and released,” concluded Raluca Marian.