Dear President von der Leyen,
We write as over 200 business leaders from Europe’s rapidly growing e-mobility ecosystem – including vehicle manufacturers, battery producers, charging providers, software developers, material suppliers, electricity suppliers, engineering services, and grid operators – united by a clear message:
Stand firm, don’t step back. Maintain the full integrity of the 2035 zero-emissions target for cars and vans in your upcoming review. Back it up with bolder action to secure Europe’s industrial leadership in the electric age.
This target, agreed under your leadership in 2023, was not just a climate milestone. It signaled Europe’s intent to lead in the global drive for clean mobility, energy security, and industrial innovation. It has set a clear, credible path for industry, investors, governments, and citizens: to stay ahead as the world goes electric.
That signal mattered, and it initiated real action. Our companies and sectors have committed hundreds of billions of euros in new investment, already creating over 150,000 new jobs – from battery gigafactories in France and Germany, to new or retooled car plants in Slovakia and Belgium, to the rapid expansion of charging infrastructure across the continent.
Workers are reskilling. Responsible materials are being sourced and produced. Power grids are being made more resilient and flexible, including through smart technologies like vehicle-to-grid. And better electric cars are already hitting Europe’s roads, built here, powered by Europe’s own energy.
Delaying the 2035 target, or broadening focus after 2035 to less efficient, transitional technologies, would stall these collective steps forward, erode investor confidence, and permanently hand the advantage to global competitors – who will continue to advance.
Regions like China have moved faster on electric cars and with greater strategic focus. Hesitate now, and Europe risks deeper dependency, lost influence, and falling irreversibly behind – in a world where one in four cars sold this year will already be electric according to the International Energy Agency.
The 2035 target is the foundation for Europe reclaiming leadership. In the face of today’s challenges, what we need now is the policy delivery to match the ambition.
In your upcoming review, we urge you to send a clear message of commitment – not retreat – while putting forward a bolder, coordinated strategy that more strongly backs all our industries through this demanding transition, and secures long-term electric vehicle, battery, and infrastructure competitiveness.
That means:
- A far stronger European industrial strategy that scales battery production, secures raw materials, and supports supplier and machinery transformation.
- Smart, consistent incentives across Member States, to support all Europeans in switching to electric vehicles.
- Accelerated investment in grids and permitting reform, to deliver the infrastructure needed for widespread electrification.
- A renewed commitment to effectively implement existing EU legislation, driving the transition forward throughout the single market.
This is a pivotal moment. Your conviction to act boldly now will decide whether Europe takes charge of its electric future or follows it.
President von der Leyen, you have been a champion of Europe’s clean technology ambitions. We urge you to stand by the 2035 target and back it up, at the centre of your wider competitiveness and resilience agenda.
We are all committed to build and power Europe’s electric vehicle future. We now ask Europe’s political leadership to stay the course, step up with us, and take charge.
Yours sincerely,
Over 200 business leaders from across Europe’s e-mobility value chain.