AVERE, the association for electromobility, welcomes the publication of REPowerEU and its objectives to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. We must remember that there is a direct correlation between phasing out ICE vehicles which run on fossil fuel and the phasing out of our dependency on third-party fossil fuel producers such as Russia. REPowerEU, therefore, reconfirms that we need to accelerate the phase-out of internal combustion engine vehicles in the EU before 2035 to meet both the Paris Agreement targets and the EU’s strategic autonomy objectives.

We believe that the road transport sector, notably via electric vehicles (EVs), has a key role to play in phasing out Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels, and should therefore benefit from a favourable legislative and financial environment.

We applaud the ambition to include public and corporate fleets in the RePowerEU program, in line with long-standing AVERE positions and call on legislators to push for ambitious phase-out targets to fully electrify them by 2030. The sooner these fleets are electrified, the sooner we will see a vibrant used EV market that allows all Europeans to participate in the effort to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

However, we must not forget to maintain a high level of ambition on the Fit for 55 issues currently under discussion, such as CO2 emission standards for cars and vans, which have the potential to accelerate the adoption of new zero-emission vehicle sales, which in turn will accelerate the adoption of the used market and eliminate our need for fossil fuels. Attempts to undermine the climate ambition of the package, for example through the inclusion of e-fuels crediting systems for internal combustion vehicles, must be avoided at all costs.

Additionally, we support the revision of the CO2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles and call for the elimination of new ICE trucks by 2035 at the latest. This will allow our continent to reach the 2050 targets while continuing to reduce the Union’s links with regimes that do not share the same values as the EU.

“It is in the EU’s interest to increase the use of renewable energy to make road transport completely emission-free, eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels, and achieve greater energy autonomy” commented Philippe Vangeel, Secretary General of AVERE.

About AVERE
AVERE (The European Association for Electromobility) is the European association that promotes electromobility and sustainable transport across Europe.

Our Members consist of National Associations supporting and encouraging the use of Electric Vehicles and electromobility across Europe. We currently have active members in 19 European countries, notably some of the most successful EV countries like Norway, The Netherlands and Belgium.

Within these Associations, there are close to 2300 members, ranging from SME’s, OEM’s, and other companies with a commercial interest in electromobility.