Electric cars, T&E: 'Changing plans to 2035 puts Europe at risk of marginalisation'

William Todts is the executive director of Transport & Environment (T&E). He has headed the organisation (which coordinates and represents the activities of several national and local NGOs at European level) since 2017 and is responsible for the strategy to achieve zero-emission mobility. He spoke to Il Sole 24 Ore shortly after the Union Speech of President Ursula von der Leyen, who relaunched the need for an 'electric future' for Europe, with small and affordable cars. Von der Leyen also previewed the content of the summit on Friday 12 September, with players from the continental automotive industry. "In respect of technological neutrality, we are preparing the review of 2035," i.e. the stop of production of combustion engines, von der Leyen said. The European manufacturers (but also the German and Italian governments, as well as the leader of the EPP) spoke almost in unison, judging the stop a threat to their survival.

Todts will be one of 22 at the table, 'the only representative of civil society', he points out. The electric transition, he argues, is no longer a prospect, it is a reality: 'It started in 2019, when the share of electric vehicles in Europe was just 1-2%. Today, September 2025, we are close to 18-20%. That is a huge progress in just five years: from almost zero to one fifth of the market. Secondly, it is true that the industry is under pressure financially, but we must not forget that it had exceptional years in 2021, 2022 and 2023, the most profitable ever.

In the opinion of T&E's number one, 'the real knots are the collapse in the Chinese market, where German manufacturers have lost significant market share, and the reduction in volumes in the European market compared to pre-Covid, due to interest rates and stagnation. But the electric car is the future. In the big markets - China, India, South-East Asia, Brazil - the growth of the electric car is often stronger than in Europe. So either the European industry decides not to change plans and competes, or it is doomed to marginality'.

It is ten years until 2035. In the meantime, Chinese manufacturers, also thanks to state aid, have made enormous progress, and are now ahead technologically. Some of the Dragon's players can afford billion-dollar liabilities and still limited sales, without foregoing investment. The playing field does not look the same. Besides, more than half of the electricity in China is still produced with coal. 'I agree with part of his analysis: I have been following this transformation for 15 years. Having said that, I don't think the European situation is so bad. At the IAA Mobility in Munich, Bmw presented the Neue Klasse, Mercedes a new platform, Volkswagen the new ID series: all are improving a lot. For the first time in ten years I hear German manufacturers say 'we are at the level of the Chinese or Tesla'. On the software maybe not, but on the product itself we are close.

"As for the unlevel playing field: we at T&E are among the few who openly say that tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles are fair and necessary. Today, many cars arrive in Europe as kits from China, assembled here without tariffs. We cannot allow that to happen. The same applies to batteries: investment is welcome, but not at the cost of selling off the entire supply chain. When European manufacturers entered China, they were forced into joint ventures with technology transfer. Why not the Chinese in Europe? And it is absurd, for example, for Hungary to give billions in public subsidies to CATL for a gigafactory: probably also with European funds. Investment is good, but with clear rules'.