The letter urging the EU to stay the course is signed by top executives from electric carmakers (Volvo, Polestar), European battery manufacturers (Verkor, Samsung, LG Energy), charging providers (Fastned, Ionity, Alpitronic), material suppliers (Talga, Orano, Rock Tech Lithium) and grid operators (Iberdrola, EDP), among others.
It urges the Commission not to delay or weaken the 2035 zero‑emission target in its upcoming review and instead to focus on stronger industrial and demand policies to secure Europe’s competitiveness in the global electric mobility race.
A united call from Europe’s value chain
The signatories stress that the 2035 target has already triggered hundreds of billions of euros in new investment across Europe, from battery gigafactories in France and Germany to retooled or new car plants in Slovakia and Belgium, expanded charging infrastructure and major grid upgrades.
Call for fresh funding to back EU solar manufacturing
Rolling back now, they warn, will erode investor confidence, stall momentum and hand long‑term advantage to global competitors. Regions like China have moved faster on electric cars with greater strategic focus and will continue to advance. If Europe hesitates after 2035 by broadening its focus to less efficient transitional technologies, it risks deeper dependency and lost global influence.
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The letter outlines four urgent priorities for EU policymakers to address today’s challenges head‑on:
• A stronger industrial strategy to scale battery production, secure raw materials and support supplier transformation
• Smart, consistent incentives across Member States to support citizens switching to electric vehicles
• Accelerated grid investment and permitting reform to deliver electrification infrastructure
• Effective implementation of existing EU legislation to drive the transition across the single market
“The mindset we need today is not defensive adaptation but proactive leadership – a growth mindset both in industry and in policy alike. That means taking decisive actions to sustain and drive EV demand and to accelerate the transition to electric mobility in Europe,” said Michiel Langezaal, CEO of Fastned.
European battery projects enter build and commissioning phase
Michael Lohscheller, CEO of Polestar: “The EU’s 2035 target to end sales of new combustion cars was a turning point. It gave clarity to industry, direction to investors and certainty to consumers. Weakening it now would send the opposite signal: that Europe can be talked out of its own commitments. That would not only harm the climate. It would harm Europe’s ability to compete.” (hcn)
