According to a report by Bild am Sonntag citing EU sources, the European Commission plans to prohibit the acquisition of new combustion‐engine vehicles for car rental companies and corporate fleets from 2030 onward. Under the proposal, these sectors would be restricted to purchasing only zero‐emission vehicles, such as battery electric models. The measure is estimated to cover around 60 percent of new car sales in the affected segments. The Commission intends to present detailed proposals in late summer, after which both the European Council and Parliament would need to approve the regulation. An EU spokesperson confirmed that work is under way on a regulatory update but declined to comment on specifics.
“We strictly reject this and have also communicated our negative attitude to car rental companies,” a spokesman for the department of Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) told the AFP news agency. “We are committed to ensuring that this does not happen.”
The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) also criticized the initiative. VDA President Hildegard Müller described the proposal as an “unnecessary regulatory offensive” and called instead for improvements to the broader policy framework. She highlighted the uneven distribution of charging infrastructure across the EU, noting that almost 60 percent of public charging points are located in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Müller pointed out that Hamburg alone has more charging stations than countries such as Slovakia and Bulgaria combined, arguing that setting ambition‐driven targets must be matched by efforts to ensure their feasibility through infrastructure development and supportive measures.
Observers note that private consumers tend to adopt electric vehicles at a slower pace compared to corporate buyers, who benefit from significant tax incentives for zero‐emission company cars. This dynamic underscores the importance of balancing regulatory goals with market realities to foster broad electric mobility uptake. Stakeholders will continue to monitor the proposal as the Commission prepares its formal submission.
Source: Tagesschau.de
