France warned on Thursday that any further dilution of EU CO2 targets for cars would send a terrible signal, after electric‑vehicle sales surged amid the Iran‑Hormuz crisis. Climate minister Monique Barbut said France has built a blocking minority with eight other states to oppose softening the December Commission proposal that aims for a 90 % CO₂ cut in new cars and vans by 2035.

The European Commission trimmed its earlier 2035 phase‑out timetable, focusing on emissions rather than outright bans, and introduced incentives for low‑carbon steel and small EU‑made EVs. Barbut’s bloc, joined by the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Denmark, cited May data showing EVs captured 22 % of the market, fuelled by rising oil prices, up five points year‑on‑year, and nearly 1 mn registrations from January to May.

Germany and Italy are pushing for looser rules, favouring biofuels and plug‑in hybrid leniency, while rejecting France‑backed “super credits” for small EVs. Industry leaders such as Porsche’s new chief Michael Leiters welcomed a recent MEP report that would ease fleet standards. The impasse places France and Germany at the centre of Europe’s automotive regulatory future.