Under pressure from the automotive sector, Brussels prepares to make a U-turn on the ban on the construction and sale of vehicles with internal combustion engines in the European Union from 2035. According to sources cited by the Financial Times, the European Commission will propose, this Tuesday, a review of the terms of the ban on the sale of cars with internal combustion engines from 2035, one of the key measures of the European Ecological Pact.
Brussels declined to comment on the matter. For its part, the United Kingdom has already stated that it will not give up on plans to eliminate sales of diesel and gasoline cars from 2035.
This setback from Brussels could allow car manufacturers to continue producing a limited number of gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles after 2035, as long as they meet some specific environmental criteria. Builders will be able to maintain up to 10% of its pollutant gas emissions levels recorded in 2021using, for example, compensatory measures such as use of green steel or electric modelswith a small support engine, powered by fossil fuels.
The conditions will still be discussed by European political decision-makers, before the presentation of the proposal, which will take place this week, and any changes will have to be approved by the EU Governments and the European Parliament before becoming law.
Right when it was announced, the ban on combustion engines in the EU faced strong opposition from the main European car manufacturerswho argued with Brussels that it would be impossible to comply with it due to the slow adoption of electric models by the population and also due to the lack of electrical charging infrastructures in many countries. However, between January and October assales of electric vehicles in the EU increased by 26% (on the back of cheaper models from European and Chinese manufacturers), representing 16% of the new car market.
Some Governments of the 27, such as the Germany and Italy, for example, were also very critical, recalls the Financial Times. Last Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he supported an easing of the ban. “The reality is that in 2035, 2040 and 2050 there will still be millions of cars with combustion engines around the world”, he argued.
For their part, countries such as Spain and France want the ban to be maintained. In a joint document distributed to other Member States in October, Paris and Madrid stated that the ban “should not be called into question” and that the future of the European automotive industry “will be electric”. Still, the two countries defended measures such as “super credits” for cars manufactured on the continent, to alleviate the pressure on the automotive industry, which has to fight against the invasion of electric cars China and high electricity prices.
“Lifting the ban would be a big mistake for Europe. It would do little to help car manufacturers, as electrification is the future of the industry, and would seriously damage what remains of Europe’s reputation as a global climate leader“, said Simone Tagliapietra, senior member of the Bruegel think tank, quoted by the FT.
On the sector side, manufacturers such as BMW, Renault or Stellantis argue that the pace of the transition has been slower than expected, while the industry remains under pressure as electric vehicles generate less profit than traditional combustion engine models. Last week, Thomas Schäfer, executive director of the brand Volkswagenconfirmed that “the future is electric”, but asked for “a little more flexibility”.