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Updated Position Paper – The Future Automotive Partnership – Joint Undertaking

July 14, 2026

In response to the Call for Evidence on the Single Basic Act, ACEA, CLEPA, and EUCAR have updated their Position Paper. We welcome the European Commission’s announcements in the Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector[1] to strengthen its competitiveness. This plan includes establishing a dedicated Automotive Joint Undertaking (JU). We support this initiative […]
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EUCAR Positions News

Industry associations call for a bold next Framework Programme (FP10)

July 6, 2026

EUCAR has signed a joint declaration for a bold and ambitious FP10. The statement from key industrial stakeholders calls on EU Institutions to: The aim is to safeguard Europe’s future industrial leadership and strengthen EU competitiveness. As EUCAR, we believe that R&I framework conditions should boost Europe’s growth, employment, and competitiveness while addressing our global […]
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First ECAVA Forum Unites Leaders to Drive Autonomous Mobility from Collaboration to Deployment

June 26, 2026

On 23 June, the first European Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Alliance (ECAVA) Forum took place at SQUARE in Brussels. Under the theme “From collaboration to deployment,” EU leaders and industry innovators gathered to accelerate Europe’s connected and autonomous vehicle ecosystem. The Forum united policymakers and industry leaders to push AV technologies from early collaboration toward [&h…
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From End-of-Life Vehicles to Shared Value: AFRECAR Explores Circular Economy Opportunities Between Europe and Africa.

June 12, 2026

AFRECAR is a pilot initiative studying vehicle and material flows between Europe and Africa. With rising volumes of end-of-life vehicles expected in the Global South, this shift brings both challenges and opportunities for circular economy systems. The project reviews current flows and investigates how transcontinental material cycles can be scaled and structured sustainably. AFRECAR seeks [&helli…
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EUCAR Council met in Gothenburg to prepare for the challenges ahead

April 29, 2026

On 22 April 2026, Volvo Group hosted the first EUCAR Council meeting of the year at its Innovation Center CampX in Gothenburg, Sweden, welcomed by Helene Niklasson, EUCAR Chair 2026 and Head of Innovation Ecosystems & Partnerships, Volvo Group. In the opening keynote, Jens Holtinger, Executive VP Trucks Technology & Industrial Division and Volvo Group […]
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Testimonials

“Innovation must accelerate – from research to market uptake – making the EU Research and Innovation system vital for our industry and for our society overall. I am convinced that collaborative research and strong European partnerships will drive breakthrough technologies and faster market uptake, resulting in a future where the green and digital transition strengthens our competitiveness.“

- Helene Niklasson, Head of Innovation Ecosystems & Partnerships, Volvo Group

“The “Way to Zero” is both a challenge and a call to action for our industry and society. With an annual investment of over €60 billion in research and development, our commitment to innovation is clear. However, reaching our ambitious goals requires more than financial investment—it demands collaboration, vision, and strategic alignment across all stakeholders.”

- Nikolai Ardey, Executive Director, Volkswagen Group Innovation

“We have a unique opportunity to shape the future of transportation in a way that benefits everyone. A sustainable society demands resource and energy-efficient goods, including their production and transportation processes. In this context, logistics and commercial road transport play a crucial role in achieving our sustainability goals.”

- Riccardo Romanini, Director, Vehicle Conformance, Iveco Group

“The automotive industry is facing unprecedented challenges, from the need to reduce emissions and combat climate change to adapting to rapidly evolving technologies such as electrification and automated driving. These challenges also provide opportunities to lead the way in developing innovative solutions that benefit society and strengthen our industry’s competitiveness.”

- Jen-François Salessy, Former Vice-President, Advanced Technologies and Expertise, Group Renault

“Emerging technologies will help us address our present and future mobility challenges. We will fully leverage this knowledge so that the automotive manufacturers continue to provide safer, cleaner and more sustainable road transport solutions with benefits to their users and society.”

- Dr Peter Lehnert, Former VP Technology and Innovation Digital Car, BMW Group

“We are in the era of transformation, with new ways of working, new players entering the market, and an acceleration of innovation and novel business models to reach a truly sustainable society. In EUCAR, the European vehicle manufacturers come together in pre-competitive collaboration towards a common vision. We identify key areas and perspectives for research and innovation as well as ways to interact with the eco-system around us, facilitating successful projects with tangible results! Together we can shape the world we want to live in.”

- Ms Helene Niklasson, Vice President Innovation Ecosystems and Partnerships, Volvo Group

“As members of EUCAR, we are focussed on the results of our projects in order to develop technologies that further improve road safety, reduce the environmental footprint of mobility, and increase the cost-effectiveness of vehicles and mobility solutions.”

- Carla Gohin, CTO, Former Research & Innovation Senior Vice President, PSA Peugeot-Citroën

“EUCAR, the European Council for automotive R&D, plays an active part in finding holistic solutions for all Europeans to the mobility challenges of tomorrow. Considering that the automotive sector also generates more than 13 million direct and indirect EU jobs, we are an integral part of European society.”

- Gerd Schuster, Former Senior Vice President Research, New Technology and Innovation, BMW Group

“With EUCAR‘s collaborative research projects we strive to serve the citizens of Europe. We help to develop new services, new products and improved ways to support customers and the society in a way that also creates the jobs of tomorrow.”

- Urban Wass, Former Senior Vice President, Research & Innovation Policy, Volvo Group

“The European Council for Automotive R&D (EUCAR) has been the voice of automobile manufacturers in the field of R&D for 25 years. During this period, EUCAR has successfully contributed to establishing a multitude of research projects, all of them promoting clean, safe and efficient mobility.”

- Stefan Deix, Director of EUCAR

“Within EUCAR, we strive for long-term collaboration by joining forces in a targeted way and benefitting from synergies. We seek to provide a common insight into current research and innovation projects tackling challenges in the fields of safe and integrated mobility, sustainable propulsion, virtual engineering and manufacturing and commercial vehicles.”

- Axel Heinrich, Former Executive Director, Group Innovation at Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft

“EUCAR projects help to develop even safer vehicles; we are securing connected vehicles against manipulations and cyber threats; and we provide a solid knowledgebase for the safe introduction of automated driving.”

- Urban Wass, Former Senior Vice President, Research & Innovation Policy, Volvo Group