Dieter Zetsche re-elected ACEA president for 2017

Brussels, 5 December 2016 – The Board of Directors of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has re-elected Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler, as its president for 2017.

2017 will be an important year for Europe’s automobile industry, with the entry into force of the updated laboratory test for measuring pollutant and CO2 emissions from cars (WLTP) and the first step of a new test (RDE) to measure pollutant emissions under real driving conditions.

“Our industry fully supports the need for improved emissions testing,” stated Dr Zetsche. “However, we ask policy makers to reconsider the proposed time line giving us only a few months to comply. Because if there is one defining principle of our industry, it’s this: We are used to tackling technical challenges – provided reasonable lead-times are observed.”

Alongside emissions-related issues, connected and automated driving will be a priority topic for next year. “The increasing ability of cars to exchange data with the outside world holds great potential to revolutionise the driving experience,” said Zetsche. “With the right policy framework, we will seize these opportunities for our customers – here in Europe and around the globe.”

ACEA’s President is elected for a year-long term, once renewable, from the CEOs, Presidents or Chairmen of its member companies.