MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) is calling for a halt to the planned EU-wide ban on combustion engines from 2035. "The combustion engine ban in 2035 is a mistake," said Aiwanger. "It will ruin our automotive industry and will not help the environment."
The planned EU-wide regulation stipulates that no new cars with combustion engines will be registered from 2035. Previously, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) had called for the plan to be watered down in a ten-point plan. Among other things, manufacturers are arguing that new plug-in hybrids with a long electric range should still be allowed after 2035. In March, the Commission announced that it would review the combustion engine ban earlier than previously planned, before the end of this year.
"The automotive industry needs technical freedom instead of unrealistic paternalism, otherwise it will drive itself into a wall," Aiwanger criticized the Brussels Commission. /cho/DP/stw
