The EU Commission plans to allow company fleets – including company and rental cars – to be exclusively electric starting in 2030. This plan, which proponents portray as a measure to promote the energy transition, is, however, facing considerable criticism. Industry representatives warn of high costs, significant additional bureaucracy, and a politically motivated mistake that could hinder competition between different drive technologies.
Jurgen Roth, entrepreneur and president of the eFuel Alliance Austria, is disappointed by the discussion. He calls on the EU Commission to focus on open markets and technological competition instead of coercion. Roth argues that the idea of a legal requirement for electric cars contradicts the claim that the industry has long been moving toward electromobility on its own. If this were indeed the case, he believes, there would be no need for regulation obligating companies to use certain vehicle types. A government-imposed technology ban is not only economically questionable but also short-sighted.
Another point of criticism concerns the looming new wave of bureaucracy for all commercial fleets. Similar to the Supply Chain Directive or the Sustainability Reporting Regime, companies would have to laboriously document which vehicles they are permitted to purchase. This would lead to legal uncertainty, administrative burdens, and additional costs, and could slow down the purchase of new vehicles without providing any significant added value. The focus on purely battery-electric drive systems also ignores the potential of other technologies, particularly synthetic fuels, which could immediately make existing vehicles more efficient.
Roth calls for a rethink in Brussels and advocates withdrawing the proposal to make electric vehicles mandatory for company fleets before it enters the legislative process. He emphasizes that Europe's economy needs "unleashing, not further gagging." Instead of new regulations, the EU Commission should create a technology-open framework that enables innovation in all areas – drive systems, fuels, and infrastructure. Business has long expected politicians to remove self-created regulatory barriers and clear all avenues.