More Evidence Tesla Did Push The EU To Stick To Its Automaker CO2 Reduction Requirements - CleanTechnica

The article argues that Tesla played a crucial role in pushing the European Union (EU) to maintain and enforce its automaker CO2 reduction requirements, despite longstanding resistance from legacy European automakers, particularly in Germany and Italy. While the EU had set CO2 reduction targets as early as 2009 and tightened them in 2014, the traditional auto industry lobbied heavily against strict electric vehicle (EV) mandates, claiming consumer demand for EVs was insufficient and that producing them would lead to losses. Tesla’s successful launch of the Model 3, which attracted massive consumer interest globally, effectively disproved these claims and pressured policymakers to uphold stringent CO2 regulations, forcing legacy automakers to accelerate their EV efforts. However, the article notes a recent shift: Tesla’s sales in Europe have dropped significantly in the past couple of years, partly due to Elon Musk’s controversial political stance, coinciding with the EU’s decision to relax some CO2 reduction requirements. For example, the EU now allows autom