EU Commission to Propose Reversal of Combustion Engine Ban, Sources Say

BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The European Commission plans to propose reversing the so-called combustion engine ban. According to information confirmed to the German Press Agency from Commission circles, the authority intends to recommend allowing the registration of new vehicles with combustion engine technology even after 2035, as things currently stand. The proposal still needs to be approved by the College of EU Commissioners.

In 2022, representatives of EU member states and the European Parliament had originally agreed that, from 2035, new cars in the EU would no longer be permitted to emit climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) during operation. The background to this is the so-called fleet emission targets, which essentially require a 100 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from newly registered cars by 2035.

According to sources within the Commission, this requirement is now set to be relaxed. However, any emitted greenhouse gases are to be fully offset by other measures. For example, this could be achieved through the use of environmentally friendly "green steel."

Exceptions are planned, among others, for plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles with so-called range extenders, where small combustion engines increase the vehicle's range. Whether these exceptions will also apply to conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles remained unclear at first.

CSU Politician Weber Calls for 90 Percent Reduction

Manfred Weber, Chairman of the EPP parliamentary group, told the "Bild" newspaper: "For new registrations from 2035, instead of a 100 percent target, a 90 percent reduction in CO2 emissions for car manufacturers' fleet targets will now be made mandatory." According to Weber, there will also be no 100 percent target after 2040.

The European Commission initially declined to comment on the report when asked. The Commission's proposal must also be approved by the European Parliament and the EU member states. A spokesperson said on request: "Internal preparations and discussions are ongoing with a view to adoption by the College next week."

Compromise Still Unresolved

It remains open what compromise the institutions will ultimately reach. France and Spain, in a joint letter in October, advocated largely maintaining the original targets.

According to French newspaper "Les Echos," France sent a letter to the Commission on Tuesday. The government reportedly reiterated its openness to adjustments. "We support the introduction of targeted flexibility, particularly in the area of technology neutrality, provided this is accompanied by clear regulatory incentives for industry-friendly production in Europe and is made dependent on such incentives," "Les Echos" quotes from the letter.

Criticism from the Greens

"Any weakening of the targets is bad for Europe's economic base," criticized Terry Reintke, chairwoman of the Greens in the European Parliament. A zigzag course creates planning uncertainty instead of putting the European auto industry at the forefront of e-mobility development.

Presentation Scheduled for Next Week

The Brussels authority plans to present its proposals for possible changes to the combustion engine ban next week. In addition to proposals on the combustion engine ban, further measures such as a battery strategy and proposals for more environmentally friendly company cars are also to be presented.

The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) emphasized that the Commission will officially present its proposals next week, "so for now, we must wait and see." For the German automotive industry, it remains crucial that a technology-neutral and pragmatic solution is chosen.

Outgoing BMW CEO Oliver Zipse stated that moving away from the strict technology ban from 2035 would be a strong signal. Weber believes that climate protection should not be based on bans.

Chancellor Wrote Letter to EU Commission

Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has repeatedly spoken out strongly in favor of changes to the planned ban in recent weeks. As recently as the end of November, he wrote to the EU Commission requesting that the combustion engine ban regulation be revised. After 2035, vehicles with dual drive systems--battery and combustion engine--should continue to be permitted alongside purely battery-electric vehicles.

Previously, the black-red coalition had agreed to advocate at the EU level for the approval of "highly efficient combustion engines."

Researchers Partially Skeptical of Ban Reversal

Patrick Plotz, a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research in Karlsruhe, called any weakening of the zero-gram target for 2035 fundamentally misguided. "Sales of passenger cars with combustion engines have been declining globally for years," the Science Media Center (SMC) quoted the researcher. "Planning certainty and credibility are central elements of long-term industrial and climate policy, and these are fully provided by the 2035 target," he said.

Markus Lienkamp, from the Chair of Automotive Engineering at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), told the SMC: "If the EU allows new cars with combustion engines after 2035, it will only help the European auto industry in the short term."

Achim Kampker, engineer and professor at RWTH Aachen University, on the other hand, considers a relaxation sensible in order to maintain competitiveness in Europe: "At the same time, however, the framework conditions for Germany as a location must be massively improved so that the development of value chains for batteries and hydrogen can succeed."