MILAN, March 4 - An EU filing dated February 27 indicates the carbon-credit pool organized around U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla - a mechanism intended to help carmakers comply with the European Union's fleet emissions targets - is being set up again for 2026 without Stellantis, Toyota and Subaru listed as participants.
Brussels had originally planned large fines for automakers that failed to meet steep, fleet-wide emissions reductions by the end of 2025. Under industry pressure, the European Commission relaxed that timetable early last year, allowing compliance to be judged on average emissions over the 2025-2027 period instead.
The three automakers were part of a carbon credit trading alliance created in 2025 around Tesla, alongside other manufacturers including Ford, Mazda, Honda, Suzuki and Stellantis’ joint-venture partner Leapmotor. The alliance enabled member firms to trade credits to meet EU targets.
The February 27 EU filing shows the Tesla-led pool is being re-created for 2026 but excludes Stellantis, Toyota and Subaru from the current membership list.
Company comments in response to the filing were limited but consistent with the paperwork. Stellantis confirmed it is "not currently participating in the Tesla Pool for 2026," while noting there remains the option to join later in the year.
A spokesman for Toyota Europe said membership remained possible up until December 2026 and added that "it's too early to confirm if we need to pool or not." The filing and company statements also note Toyota holds a 21% stake in Subaru.
Stellantis operates a joint venture with Chinese EV maker Leapmotor, through which it sells Leapmotor-branded cars in Europe. The filing does not clarify whether Stellantis would need to create a formal pooling arrangement with Leapmotor in order to count its partner's EV sales toward EU compliance.
Finally, the EU submissions show that, as of the filing date, no other carbon-credit pools have been registered for 2026.
Contextual note - The filing and company comments outline who has enrolled in the Tesla-led pool to date, the current status of re-creation for 2026, and the procedural leeway companies have to join later in the year or up to December 2026, as applicable.