THG Regulation: German Association for Corporate Mobility Calls for Correction

The amendment to the regulation stipulates, among other things, that the submission deadline for the GHG quotas should be moved to November 15th of the respective obligation year. Previously, the submission deadline was February 28th of the following year. The amendment would now mean that vehicles registered between November 15th and December 31st of the obligation year cannot be recorded. Furthermore, no GHG premium can then be applied for, as the obligation year corresponds to a calendar year.

"If the amendments are passed in this manner, it means that, according to registration statistics, around 160,000 electric vehicles would have been disadvantaged last year. This corresponds to about 30 percent of new registrations – a significant setback in the mobility transition," said Axel Schäfer, Managing Director of BBM.

Today, the Cabinet approved the draft of the “Second Ordinance to Amend the Ordinance on Establishing Further Provisions for Greenhouse Gas Reduction in Fuels.”

“We are very surprised that associations, which are deeply involved with such topics and strive for sustainable operational mobility, have not been heard,” said BBM Chairman Marc-Oliver Prinzing.

The Mobility Association, along with the Federal Association for eMobility (BEM) e.V., was only able to review the amended document at short notice, according to their own statements. The BBM sees good approaches in the new ordinance. This includes, for example, the clarification of the greenhouse gas reduction quotas (THG-quota) for public charging points, which have been reported as such to the Federal Network Agency and have not objected to publication. However, the Mobility Association views some aspects very critically and calls for an immediate correction.

Delivery Issues Jeopardize THG Bonus

The Mobility Association further explains that companies have no influence on the registration date – especially due to the still ongoing delivery problems. Thus, a large part of the THG quota would be excluded. Therefore, the association demands that the submission window be extended and suggests June 30 of the following year for the obligation year.

"Especially now, politics must create incentives for companies to further advance electrification. After all, subsidies for companies will cease in September, and economic reasons alone are already slowing the ramp-up of electromobility. If the THG quota trading is now also made more difficult, it is an additional obstacle. Politics must stop misreading the signaling effect of companies and finally act in the interest of all," Schäfer said.