European automakers have raised doubts about the European Union’s goal of cutting CO2 emissions from vehicles, including a complete phase-out of petrol and diesel cars by 2035.

The heads of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association and the automotive suppliers’ body said on Wednesday that the targets are no longer achievable.

The warning comes ahead of a September 12 meeting hosted by European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, where executives will discuss the sector’s future amid rising Chinese competition in electric vehicles and potential U.S. tariffs.

In a joint letter to von der Leyen, Mercedes-Benz CEO, Ola Kaellenius, and Matthias Zink, CEO of powertrain and chassis at Schaeffler AG, affirmed their commitment to the EU’s broader net-zero emissions goal by 2050, despite the short-term challenges.

They warned that EU automakers are increasingly dependent on Asia for batteries and are grappling with inconsistent charging networks, rising production costs, and potential U.S. tariffs.

The industry argued that the EU must look beyond current new-vehicle CO2 targets—55% reductions for cars and 50% for vans by 2030, and full 100% cuts for both by 2035.

Currently, electric vehicles account for about 15% of new car sales in the EU, while vans make up roughly 9%.

“Meeting the rigid car and van CO2 targets for 2030 and 2035 is, in today’s world, simply no longer feasible,” they wrote.

Legal mandates and penalties would not drive the transition, they wrote.

“EVs will lead the charge, but there must also be space for (plug-in) hybrids, range extenders, highly efficient internal-combustion engine vehicles, hydrogen and decarbonised fuels,” the letter said.