Toyota and Stellantis withdraw from CO₂ pool with Tesla

Toyota and Stellantis withdraw from CO₂ pool with Tesla

ELECTRIVE — 2026-03-03

Automotive Industry

At EU level, manufacturers can join so-called CO₂ pools to combine their otherwise separate fleets into a single large fleet for CO₂ regulatory purposes. This allows manufacturers with a high proportion of electric vehicles (EVs) to offset their CO₂ savings against the fleets of manufacturers that have not yet met their CO₂ targets. By doing so, manufacturers can avoid EU fines, though they typically must pay to join the pool. However, these payments are usually significantly lower than the penalties imposed by the EU.

It may be the case that final figures for 2025 are not yet available; only preliminary calculations from experts such as Dataforce or the ICCT exist so far. However, while the definitive values may differ slightly from these forecasts, a clear trend is evident in the case of the ‘Tesla Pool’: only Tesla, as a pure EV manufacturer, and Stellantis’ partner Leapmotor (which produces almost exclusively battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), with some extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs)) significantly undercut the targets. Pool partners such as Subaru, Suzuki, Mazda, and Honda, however, fall well short of their CO₂ targets. Ford and Stellantis are close, while Toyota is expected to meet its CO₂ target of 96.3 grams per kilometre almost exactly.

These likely results for 2025 and internal planning for the current year have now led to two significant decisions: as automotive analyst Matthias Schmidt reports, both Toyota and Stellantis (along with Leapmotor) will no longer be part of the ‘Tesla Pool’ in 2026. An EU document lists Tesla, Ford (Ford Werke GmbH and Ford Motor Company), Honda Motor, Mazda Motor, and Suzuki (as Suzuki Motor, Magyar Suzuki, and Maruti Suzuki India for the Suzuki e-Vitara built there) as the remaining members.

Without official statements from the companies, the exact reasons can only be speculated upon. In Toyota’s case, its European headquarters likely believes it can meet its CO₂ targets independently in the future. Toyota has maintained a high proportion of hybrids in its fleet for years and has few remaining high-emission models. Additionally, the share of battery-electric vehicles in Toyota’s sales is expected to rise, as the model range is being expanded downward with the new Urban Cruiser—and at least in February 2026, the bZ4X was the best-selling EV in Denmark.

While Stellantis missed its CO₂ target by just over six grams per kilometre in Dataforce’s 2025 forecast, it could form a pool with its subsidiary Leapmotor. However, with Stellantis’ recent strategic shift towards becoming a ‘beacon of freedom of choice’ and the revival of previously phased-out diesel engines in European models, it remains unclear how its CO₂ emissions will develop in 2026. Nevertheless, the regulatory benefits of Leapmotor are expected to increase.

As reported, production of the Leapmotor T03 is set to begin at a Stellantis plant in Spain later this year. “This will help avoid existing tariffs and counteract potential further European protectionism,” writes Matthias Schmidt. Reports also suggest that negotiations are underway for Stellantis to use its partner’s technologies in its own models—though this has not yet been confirmed. This could enable Stellantis to make its own EVs more affordable and technically competitive.

One major caveat: CO₂ pools must always be finalised by 1 December of the current year. Toyota and Stellantis still have time to monitor market developments in 2026 and potentially rejoin the ‘Tesla Pool’.

The impact on Tesla’s revenue from CO₂ regulation cannot yet be accurately assessed. While Tesla has already highlighted the declining significance of CO₂-related income worldwide in its financial reports—and the political situation in the USA is likely to lead to further reductions—two key contributors in the EU may be lost this year. However, as mentioned, the final decision will not be made until early December.