Press release
A decade after Dieselgate, Europe’s electric vehicle transition is on track and accelerating
New ICCT report finds European carmakers just 9 grams of CO₂ away from the next EU CO₂ target but warns that delays in the EV transition could undermine the European industry’s competitiveness.
Berlin, 11 Sep — Ten years ago, the Dieselgate scandal became a major turning point for the European auto industry, which pledged to accelerate electrification efforts both to restore consumers’ trust and to slash emissions. A report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), the same group that exposed the emissions fraud, assesses the electric vehicle transition progress made to date ahead of the European Commission review of the EU’s CO₂ standards for cars, the law steering the phase-out sales of new polluting cars by 2035.
“Our report concludes that Europe’s electric vehicle transition is on track and accelerating,” said Dr. Peter Mock, ICCT Europe Director. “Carmakers are just 9 grams away from their next CO₂ target in 2027. The preferred strategy to hit this goal on schedule is selling more battery electric cars, and this comes as no surprise: battery costs are plummeting, charging infrastructure is expanding, and battery electric cars are becoming cleaner faster than expected.”
Since the Dieselgate scandal broke in 2015, the European automotive sector has undergone significant transformation. Today, the European Union is a net exporter of battery electric cars and ranks second in electric car production globally. From around 80,571 electric cars in 2015, EU production reached 2.35 million at the end of 2024. In the first half of 2025, fully electric cars achieved a record 17% average market share across Europe.
“Back in 2015, Europe’s auto sector was still dominated by polluting cars that impacted public health and undermined climate goals,” said Dr. Mock. “Today, despite gloomy headlines and the pressure of quarterly results, we have a much cleaner industry and a path to an emission-free car sector. Our report shows that carmakers should be less worried about hitting the next targets and more about remaining competitive globally. Policy and industry hesitation can only erode investors and consumers’ confidence in the transition while China-based carmakers gain ground. What matters now is keeping the transition on course — without delays or detours.”
Key indicators showing progress
The EU’s CO2 standards have steadily driven industry milestones, cutting emissions by 42% since 2009. Battery electric cars sold in Europe emit 73% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than gasoline cars over their lifetime, even when factoring in production emissions. They are also becoming more attractive to consumers. Already today they are the cheapest to drive, costing around €7.43 per 100 kilometers, compared with €8.60 for diesel and €11.02 for gasoline.
Public charging infrastructure deployment is often cited as major roadblock in the EV transition. “The analysis concludes that public charging is generally being deployed at a sufficient pace, with differences between countries mirroring differences in EV adoption,” explained the report’s lead author Marie Rajon Bernard, ICCT Senior Researcher. “The number of public chargers has increased by more than 45% annually on average since 2020, reaching 1 million charge points in the EU as of July 2025. “This growth rate is well above the 14% annual increase projected to be needed until 2035”, added Rajon Bernard.
Looking ahead, the report emphasizes the importance of securing a local European battery industry to remain competitive in the global market. While nearly half of all electric vehicles manufactured in Europe already use batteries made domestically, the growing demand for batteries presents a major untapped opportunity for industrial growth.
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Note for editors
The EV Transition Check is an ICCT report supported by European think tanks and consumer groups, offers a comprehensive data-driven assessment of the EV transition. It measures progress against key indicators on emission reductions, vehicle affordability, climate and health impacts, charging infrastructure, and industrial competitiveness.
Full media kit available here.
Read this press release in German, French, Spanish and Italian.
Please use this link when citing the report: theicct.org/publication/ev-transition-check-sep25
Media contact
Susana Irles, Senior Communications Specialist, communications@theicct.org
Publication details
Title: The EV Transition Check. Measuring progress towards zero-emission for passenger cars in the European Union
Authors: Marie Rajon Bernard, Jan Dornoff, Uwe Tietge, Kyle Morrison, Marta Negri, Georg Bieker, Jonny Benoit, Sonsoles Díaz, Alexander Plummer, Sandra Wappelhorst, and Peter Mock.
Publication link: theicct.org/publication/ev-transition-check-sep25
Press release link: theicct.org/pr-dieselgate-europe-electric-vehicle-progress-sept25
About the International Council on Clean Transportation
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) is an independent research organization providing first-rate, unbiased research and technical and scientific analysis to environmental regulators. Our mission is to improve the environmental performance and energy efficiency of road, marine, and air transportation, in order to benefit public health and mitigate climate change. Founded in 2001, we are a nonprofit organization working under grants and contracts from private foundations and public institutions.
Find us at:
www.theicct.org
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