Brussels – Spain could become the third country to benefit significantly from the upcoming European regulation on electric cars in company fleets, which is expected to include a “Made in the EU” clause aimed at boosting the sales of zero-emission vehicles, according to an analysis by the NGO Transporte y Medioambiente (T&E).
The market for company cars accounts for approximately 60% of new passenger car sales within the EU. The European Commission is currently finalizing a proposal, expected to be unveiled next Wednesday, which aims to establish electric quotas for corporate fleets to enhance the adoption of zero-emission vehicles.
“A potential option under consideration is to connect the new minimum electrification percentages with ‘Made in EU’ requirements,” a spokesperson for T&E shared with EFE, noting that “Spain and France expressed a unified stance last month, advocating for such requirements in the revision of European legislation.”
T&E suggests that introducing a mandate requiring companies with over 250 employees to electrify 75% of their new vehicle acquisitions by 2030, alongside a stipulation that at least 90% of those vehicles be manufactured in the EU, could drive an additional demand for 1.2 million European electric cars from 2027 to 2030.
The impact on Spain would be particularly pronounced, considering that 74% of electric vehicles produced in the country are sold to European corporate fleets.
Spain’s automotive industry supplies electric models from facilities such as Stellantis Vigo (ë-Berlingo, e-Partner, Combo-e, and ProAce City Electric vans) and Stellantis Zaragoza (assembly of the Corsa-e). Starting in 2026, electric models from Volkswagen and SEAT, including the ID.2 and future Cupra Raval, are also expected to be produced in Martorell and Navarra.
This positioning would make the Spanish automotive sector the third most aligned with the corporate sales channel that the European Commission’s future proposal aims to enhance, trailing only Austria (80%) and Belgium (75%).
Should the EU impose local content requirements, Spain would likely emerge as a major beneficiary of the anticipated surge in demand, directly impacting production and employment in domestic manufacturing plants, according to T&E.
The report also notes that while many countries offer significant tax incentives for companies—up to 14,000 euros per vehicle in Germany—only Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands currently exhibit clear leadership in corporate market electrification.
Spain, along with France, Germany, and Italy, is currently behind, underscoring the necessity for a mandatory European framework, T&E argues. The organization highlights that Spain, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Luxembourg have jointly urged the European Commission to expedite the proposal’s presentation.
The endorsers of this letter emphasized the competitive advantages it would provide for Europe and its positive implications for the used vehicle market.
Due to the shorter usage period of corporate vehicles compared to private ones, T&E estimates that up to 7 million electric vehicles could enter the secondary market by 2035 as a result of this legislation.
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