Two cities, two different atmospheres. Earlier this week, carmakers and suppliers gathered in Munich (Bavaria) for the International Motor Show, running from Tuesday, September 9, to Sunday, September 14, showcasing a slew of new electric vehicles and touting their advantages. Yet on Friday, September 12, they will all be in Brussels at the invitation of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a so-called "strategic dialogue." There, they will plead with her to slow down the transition to electric vehicles. In their view, the shift is happening too fast and is dampening the European car market. Every year, three million fewer cars are sold than before the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the existing fleet is aging rapidly – counter to the European Union's goals for cutting CO₂ emissions.

On the top floor of the Berlaymont, headquarters of the European Commission, CEOs will gather in force: No one wants to miss this critical meeting. Around the table will be carmakers and their trade group, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association; suppliers and their professional body, the CLEPA (European Association of Automotive Suppliers); labor unions; and the non-governmental organization Transport & Energy (T&E). All hope that the Commission president will make decisions in their favor. But which decisions? There is discord at the table, with each group pushing for different demands.

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