Last week, the heads of ACEA and CLEPA who are also leaders of major industrial players in the auto industry, published an open letter to the head of the European Commission with regards to the future of the industry in Europe. The message was very clear and hits on a number of key points, which can be paraphrased to the following:

1. The industry stays committed to developing and delivering products with drastically lower life cycle carbon emissions, through a diverse range of technologies.

2. The transition to a carbon-zero Europe is one that must engage all parts of society and not be seen as an issue for the vehicle industry to solve alone. 

3. So far, politics haven’t stepped up to do their part, thus, the consumers and fleet owners still don’t see full battery electric vehicles as their preferred alternative, leaving the electric vehicle market share at a stable 15% for cars and 3% for commercial trucks. To move the needle, other actors in the transportation eco system, including politically controlled areas like electricity production and charging infrastructure, will have to contribute.

4. Politics will have to stay out of the technical solutions and not shut the door for non-battery electric powertrains that will contribute to lowering of carbon emissions, such as fossil free gas combustion engines, highly efficient plug-in hybrids and range extenders.

5. Due to the lack of cohesiveness of European politics, the CO2 emissions targets are highly unrealistic and will, unless altered, effectively kill the industry that is the motor of the European economy.

From Hybrid Alliance, we very much agree with the assessment and message of the ACEA and CLEPA leaders. It is especially true for commercial vehicles that the number of different use cases require different powertrain solutions and that a single minded focus on battery electric propulsion will only delay the transition to lower carbon emissions. The case for hybrid powertrains remains strong and Hybrid Alliance will continue to work with its member companies to facilitate development and acceptance of the technology.

• ACEA hompage: ACEA – European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association
• CLEPA hompage: CLEPA | European Association of Automotive Suppliers
• Read the full letter here: clepa.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Joint-ACEA-CLEPA-Letter.pdf

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