Assessment by Arnd Franz, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of the MAHLE Group, of the proposal by the EU Commission for the amendment of the CO₂ fleet regulation:

We have always been committed to climate protection with technological diversity and therefore welcome the proposal of the EU Commission as a first step in the right direction, which will, however, rapidly need to be followed by others. Allowing only a maximum of 10 percent reduction in CO₂emissions through other technologies in addition to e-mobility, technological diversity is in a niche, which does not offer an adequate perspective in this form. The proposal from Brussels will therefore prevent full exploitation of the considerable potential of other technologies such as hybrid vehicles, range extenders or renewable fuels for climate protection and strengthening the European automotive industry against international competition.

The European Parliament and the EU Member States now face the task of setting the right priorities. It will be necessary to maintain a strong European economy and to safeguard employment. For this reason, we need clear requirements for genuine technological diversity instead of new complex regulations and quotas with even more bureaucracy. In addition to accelerating the ramp-up of e-mobility, this will include the widespread use of alternative technologies and a rapid expansion in the availability of sustainable fuels.

MAHLE has production-ready technologies available for all types of powertrains with a view to shaping climate-friendly mobility also in Europe.