IN SARANDË: Nine European Union countries have opposed a European Commission proposal requiring large corporate fleets to transition towards electric vehicles.
The European Commission has proposed that, by 2030, large companies’ fleets be subject to two separate mandatory quotas, with around 69% of all newly purchased vehicles required to be plug-in hybrids and approximately 45% battery-electric or hydrogen-powered cars.
According to documents obtained by Euronews, a coalition led by Poland has launched a coordinated challenge to the commission’s proposed law, which would require companies with more than 250 employees or more than €50 million ($82.22 million) to decarbonise their vehicle fleets.
The coalition includes Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, and Romania.
According to Euronews, the coalition argues that mandatory quotas risk undermining competitiveness and placing additional burdens on businesses.
Another concern among the nine countries is uneven readiness across the European Union (EU), with significant differences in charging infrastructure, leasing markets, taxation systems, grid capacity, and administrative frameworks.
Tax gap
Recent analysis by the campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) claims that in 18 of the EU’s 27 member states, the tax gap between electric and fossil fuel cars is insufficient to offset higher electric vehicle prices.
T&E Fleets and Freight Director Stef Cornelis says the EU’s largest car markets — Germany, Spain, Italy, and Poland — are “failing” to incentivise companies to switch to electric vehicles.
“The EU fleet regulation is the catalyst needed to break this inertia,” Cornelis says.
“The EU council and EU Parliament should inject more ambition into the commission’s proposal to ensure Europe can reduce oil imports rapidly.”
T&E reports that company-linked cars and vans account for 59% of new car registrations and 78% of oil imports consumed.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
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