LONDON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The EU should stick to 2025

CO2 emission rules and roll out incentives to buy EVs rather

than waive fines for automakers that miss targets, a European

industry group representing automakers, battery makers and

charging firms said on Monday.

E-Mobility Europe said new research from British firm New

Automotive shows the 2025 emission rules for cars should lead to

an almost 65% increase in sales of fully electric vehicles

across the European Union this year - without those rules in

place sales should increase 33%.

The group said a number of new EV models under 25,000 euros

($25,660) should hit the market this year - including the

Renault R5, the Fiat Grand Panda, Hyundai Inster and the VW ID.2

- and E-Mobility Europe's secretary general Chris Heron told

Reuters the EU could use money from tariffs levied on

Chinese-made EVs or relief funds left over from the coronavirus

pandemic to fund incentives for consumers.

"With targets in place, there will be a massive push to sell

electric cars this year," Heron said. "If Europe's governments

get on board, realistically we can end up with a year where

fines don't need to be issued."

Under the EU's 2025 CO2 emission targets more than one fifth

of automakers' sales need to be fully electric, but EVs only

accounted for 13.6% of new car sales in 2024.

Europe's auto industry has estimated it could face 15

billion euros in fines for missing those targets and has called

for the European Commission to waive those fines.

Previously called Avere, E-Mobility Europe's membership

spans the EV ecosystem and includes Tesla, Chinese

battery maker CATL and Dutch fast-charging company

Fastned.

Fastned CEO Michiel Langezaal estimated so far charging

companies have invested 10 billion euros in infrastructure and

investors will become reluctant to provide funding if the EU

backs off its goals.

"It's incredibly important to keep the targets in place to

ensure the entire industry transitions, otherwise that

infrastructure cannot be built up," Langezaal said.

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