Technology Neutrality Is Not The Solution To The Car Industry’s Issues - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica argues that the European automotive industry's push for "technology neutrality"—allowing combustion engine vehicles, biofuels, and plug-in hybrids beyond the 2035 CO2 emissions target—is a short-sighted strategy that threatens Europe's competitiveness in the global electric vehicle (EV) market. Despite industry claims blaming regulatory targets for current struggles, the real issues stem from manufacturers prioritizing profits over volume, leading to higher car prices and reduced affordability for European consumers. This has resulted in declining sales and lost market share to Chinese EV competitors, who are rapidly advancing in both domestic and international markets. The article emphasizes that clear, ambitious targets like the 2035 electrification goal are essential to provide investment certainty and drive the development of the EV value chain, including batteries and charging infrastructure. Technology neutrality, by contrast, would undermine these investments and promote more expensive and less sustainable options, such as synthetic fuels and biofuels, which remain costly and inefficient. With global EV adoption accelerating—