More than 150 executives from Europe's electric vehicle sector have piled pressure on Brussels to stick with its plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035.
The plea comes despite growing pushback from governments, manufacturers and millions of ordinary motorists worried about costs and choice.
In an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the coalition of carmakers, battery producers, charging network operators, and energy companies warned against rowing back on the controversial zero emissions target.
The group, which includes Volvo, Polestar, Samsung, LG Energy, Fastned and IONITY, told Ms von der Leyen the EU must "stand firm, not step back".
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The letter called on the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to stick with the 2035 car ban date
| GETTYThey argued that any softening of the 2035 deadline would "undermine investor confidence" and surrender ground to global competitors – particularly China, which has surged ahead in the production of electric vehicles.
Michael Lohscheller, the chief executive of Polestar, said the original ban had been a defining moment for the industry.
"The EU's 2035 target to end sales of new combustion cars was a turning point," he claimed.
He said: "It gave clarity to industry, direction to investors and certainty to consumers. Weakening it now would send the opposite signal: that Europe can be talked out of its own commitments. That would not only harm the climate. It would harm Europe's ability to compete."
The 2035 petrol and diesel ban saw 150,000 jobs created across the electric car sector
| GETTYBut critics have argued that the voices pushing hardest for the ban are the very businesses that stand to profit from it, while the costs fall on drivers already struggling with record fuel bills, rising inflation and higher car prices.
Even industry figures admitted that Europe’s charging network remains patchy and unreliable.
Many households, particularly those without off-street parking, are yet to be convinced that an electric vehicle is practical.
On top of that, serious questions remain over whether Europe’s already strained power grids could cope with millions more EVs plugging in.
But the lobby insisted that progress is already being made with the letter pointing to new battery gigafactories in France and Germany, revamped car plants in Slovakia and Belgium, and charging infrastructure spreading across the continent.
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According to the signatories, the 2035 target has already sparked "transformative investment", created 150,000 jobs and unlocked hundreds of billions of euros in capital commitments.
Michiel Langezaal, chief executive of charging firm Fastned, said Brussels needed to keep its nerve.
"The mindset we need today is not defensive adaptation but proactive leadership – a growth mindset both in industry and in policy alike," he shared.
The executives also demanded more taxpayer support to keep the industry afloat. They called for a "comprehensive industrial strategy" to secure raw materials, expand battery production and transform automotive supply chains.
The letter also pushed for "harmonised incentive programmes" across member states to encourage more drivers to switch to electric cars.
Experts have warned Ursula von der Leyen not to introduce any changes to the 2035 petrol and diesel car ban
| PAThe letter shared: "Regions like China have moved faster on electric cars and with greater strategic focus.
"Hesitate now, and Europe risks deeper dependency, lost influence, and falling irreversibly behind – in a world where one in four cars sold this year will already be electric according to the International Energy Agency."
The pressure from industry comes at a politically sensitive time as several EU Governments begin to openly question the ban, worried about the impact on their car sectors and national economies.
Voters, too, have been growing impatient with what they see as "top-down green diktats".
For critics, the open letter looks less like a warning and more like a lobbying pitch. As one sceptical MEP put it recently: "The loudest voices demanding a petrol car ban are those who will make the most money from it. The people who will pay are Europe’s motorists."