Differences
in zero-emissions strategies between Volvo Cars and Europe's car lobbying group has
caused the Swedish car manufacturer to leave the association.
Volvo Cars,
headquartered in Torslanda, Sweden, and owned by Chinese conglomerate Geely
Holding Group, said it will leave the European Automobile Manufacturers
Association (ACEA) by the end of 2022.
Since 1991,
ACEA, a Brussels-based industry group, has existed to represent a unified
approach among carmakers, but disgruntled members are revealing cracks in the
association’s foundations.
The announcement
comes after ACEA voted in favour of the European Union's proposal for an
effective ban on fossil-fuel cars as of 2035. Volvo Cars has already pledged to
have a fully-electric car range by 2030, five years ahead of the EU’s target, meaning
the association’s objectives don’t align with the manufacturers.
In a
statement, Volvo said: “We have concluded that Volvo Cars' sustainability
strategy and ambitions are not fully aligned with ACEA’s positioning and way of
working at this stage. We, therefore, believe it is better to take a different
path for now.
“What we do
as a sector will play a major role in deciding whether the world has a fighting
chance to curb climate change.”
ACEA responded
in a statement: “We acknowledge the decision of Volvo Cars to leave ACEA by the
end of the year. We are in the midst of unprecedented change. ACEA will
continue to drive Europe’s ambitious mobility transformation, building on the
industry’s global competitive position throughout the transition. We remain
committed to act as the voice of Europe’s car, truck, van, and bus makers,
working hand-in-hand with all relevant partners and stakeholders."
Volvo Cars’
announcement comes less than a month after carmaker conglomerate, Stellantis, said
it would leave the ACEA by the end of 2022 as part of a new approach to
addressing issues and challenges of future mobility, including a shift away
from traditional lobbying activity.
Since cooling
its ACEA membership, Stellantis’, which manufactures Citroën, Fiat, Opel, and
Maserati, has formed the new ‘Freedom of Mobility Forum’ with the aim of hosting
“a yearly open meeting of passionate problem-solvers committed to fact-based
decision making that identifies how to bring clean, safe, and affordable
freedom of mobility for society in the face of global warming implications.”
At this stage,
it’s unclear whether Volvo Cars has intentions of joining the new Forum.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
