Volkswagen executive calls on EU to ease CO2 reduction targets

The chairman of German carmaker Volkswagen's supervisory board on Thursday called on the EU to relax CO2 emission performance standards.

"We know today that the demand for electric cars in Europe is falling far short of expectations," said Hans Dieter Pötsch, according to a manuscript of his speech at the Vienna Electric Days gathering.

"Electromobility will prevail, but it will take more time. That is why the CO2 targets for 2025, 2030 and 2035 need to be adjusted and adapted to reality," he said.

His comments refer to the EU's phased plan to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted by new cars. The fleet-wide targets for individual manufacturers, which are to be achieved on average for all new cars, are set to fall by 15% in 2025.

But industry representatives say this will only be possible with more electric cars, which will help reduce the average. If carmakers miss their targets, they risk having to pay significant fines.

Pötsch, who is also chairman of the board of Porsche Automobil Holding, said politicians "have set targets for the industry without the necessary infrastructure being in place and without thinking about whether customers will go along with them."

In order for electromobility to become established, more public support is needed, argued Pötsch.

At present, however, citizens are unsettled by debates about electric and combustion engines, he said. "We need clarity and reliability in Europe," Pötsch added

Several other carmakers have called on Brussels to ease the targets or at least extend the time frames by which they are to be achieved. BMW boss Oliver Zipse called for a change in the spring, and VW boss Oliver Blume has also demanded "appropriate CO2 targets."

Referring to the stricter CO2 target for 2025, Blume admitted in early August that "there is still a gap to close."

He said he is eager to avoid fines that would be due if the carmaker misses the target. "Every euro spent on fines is a euro badly invested," Blume said.