Lisbon taxi driver João Mendes used to spend over €500 a month on diesel — now, he charges his electric Renault Zoe at a public station for less than €100. His story echoes across Europe, where a coalition of 80 organizations, from Greenpeace to Eurelectric, is urging EU leaders to double down on vehicle electrification. In a letter addressed to all EU heads of state, the group warns that weakening recently agreed CO₂ targets would prolong Europe’s reliance on imported oil — a vulnerability laid bare by the latest surge in prices following unrest in the Middle East.
The stakes are immense. Passenger cars in the EU burn through roughly 1 billion barrels of imported oil each year, a dependency that drains hundreds of billions from the bloc’s economy and leaves citizens exposed to global shocks. Electric vehicles, the coalition argues, are no longer a futuristic ideal but a practical, scalable solution. With over 2.5 million new EVs registered in 2023 alone and carmakers rolling out affordable models at pace, the transition is already underway. Every EV on European roads reduces oil demand, insulates households from price swings, and strengthens continental energy security.
Yet, as the European Commission reviews its 2023 CO₂ standards, some policymakers are pushing to delay or dilute the rules. The coalition calls this a dangerous misstep. "Proposals to weaken the agreed targets are out of touch with the urgent need to protect Europeans," the letter states. Rolling back ambition now, they argue, would erode investor confidence, stall industrial innovation, and jeopardize the EU’s zero-pollution goals by 2050. Instead, the focus must shift from whether to electrify to how fast.
The path forward, according to the signatories, requires concrete action: safeguarding the existing CO₂ targets for cars, fast-tracking national electrification plans, expanding public charging networks, and removing grid bottlenecks that delay new infrastructure. Social leasing programs could also help lower-income households access EVs, ensuring the transition is fair and inclusive.
This isn’t just about climate — it’s about sovereignty. "Europe must choose: continue to bear the price of oil dependency, or decisively build a clean, sovereign, and affordable mobility system," the letter concludes. With oil imports still accounting for 94% of the EU’s transport energy, the choice could redefine Europe’s economic and geopolitical footing for decades. The tools are here. The technology is ready. Now, the coalition insists, what’s needed is the political courage to accelerate.