Brussels, 19 December:
The European Commission proposal on Clean Corporate Vehicles, also included in the Automotive Package, raises serious concerns regarding technology neutrality, and industrial realism.
The proposal defines “clean” corporate vehicles as zero- and low-carbon emission vehicles, which in effect translates exclusively into battery electric vehicles, and a more limited role for plug-in hybrids. Vehicles exclusively fuelled with renewable fuels are not included, thereby excluding other low-carbon and renewable solutions that are essential for a balanced and resilient decarbonisation pathway.
Liana Gouta, Director General FuelsEurope, commented “This narrow interpretation stands in absolute contrast to the repeated political commitments by the Commission to technology neutrality and ignores the diversity of solutions needed to decarbonise transport across different use cases, regions, and market segments. It even stands in contrast to the Commission’s proposal for revision of the CO2 Standards, where renewable fuels are allowed to play a role, albeit quite limited”
This proposal effectively ignores internal combustion engine technologies in corporate fleets, regardless of their emissions performance or compatibility with renewable and low-carbon fuels. National targets set for certain Member States amount to an almost ban on ICE technologies by 2035, achieved not through an explicit prohibition but through regulatory constraints that lead the market to “silver bullet” technology selection, , leaving no viable alternative pathways.
This approach risks undermining investment certainty, industrial competitiveness, and Europe’s broader energy transition objectives.
Corporate fleets play a crucial role in vehicle renewal and market uptake of new technologies. Limiting this market to limited technological solutions risks creating structural dependencies, increasing costs for businesses and citizens, and disregarding the potential of complementary solutions that can deliver immediate emissions reductions.
A credible decarbonisation strategy must be inclusive, technology-neutral, and grounded in real-world conditions. The Clean Corporate Vehicles proposal, as currently designed, fails to meet these criteria and should be fundamentally reconsidered.