BMW, Daimler confident they can meet EU’s 2021 emissions targets, 2030 targets a challenge

BMW chief Harald Krüger said he’s confident the company can meet the EU’s 2021 emissions targets, but the 2030 targets are more difficult, reports news agency dpa via Welt Online. Speaking at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday, Krüger called the 2030 targets “a dramatic challenge”. Currently, 9 percent of BMW’s car sales are hybrid or electric, but many of those sales are in China. Krüger said in many European countries, the share is only 2 or 3 percent and the carmaker must convince customers to make the switch, dpa reports.
Competitor Daimler also plans to meet the EU emissions targets, reports the AP via The Washington Post. But Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche said Tuesday that meeting those goals depends on the roll-out of charging infrastructure and whether customers are willing to buy battery-powered cars. “Our clear goal is to achieve the requirements and we proceed on the assumption that we will,” Zetsche said, according to the AP.

The German car industry has previously protested the 2030 targets, calling them unrealistic. Just one year ago, the car industry was also questioning whether the 2021 limits were feasible. The German transport sector has so far failed to bring down emissions, and the government has launched a clean mobility commission to make recommendations.