In an open letter to the EU Commission, some 30 companies are demanding that only electric company cars and delivery vans should be allowed in the European Union from 2030. From then, no new cars or vans with combustion engines should e allowed in company fleets.
The companies, including Uber, Ikea, Coca-Cola and LeasePlan, are calling on the Commission to propose a regulation setting binding zero-emissions targets for corporate fleets by October 2023 as part of its Greening Corporate Fleets initiative. The legislative proposal should also allow member states to set more ambitious national targets and deadlines for zero-emission fleets. The letter also calls for the accelerated expansion of the charging infrastructure.
The companies base their push on the fact that 60 per cent of cars sold in Europe are company cars and that these vehicles are driven twice as much as private cars. Fleet managers’ purchasing decisions also significantly impact the rest of the market, as vehicles typically hit the used market after only three to five years. According to the letter, companies are in a good position to lead this push for electrification because they tend to make purchasing decisions based on the total cost of ownership (TCO), where electric vehicles have an advantage over internal combustion vehicles.
Accelerating the electrification of fleets could pay off for the EU in three ways: rapidly reducing emissions from road transport, reducing dependence on Russian oil imports, and creating a thriving second-hand market for affordable electric vehicles.
Keyword: Open letter to the EU: No more combustion engines for company cars