Car makers are urging the EU to U-turn on its plans to ban cars with an internal combustion engine for 2035, highlighting an underdeveloped charging infrastructure and the high price of electric vehicles (EV). They also say there is a risk that the car industry could lose hundreds of thousands of jobs if they were mandated to exclusively build EVs.
Initially, the EU was steadfast in its decision but with increasing pressure,, it appears likely that the internal combustion engine will be here to stay for the foreseeable future. A letter sent German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen encouraged the EU to backtrack from the original ban.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas , the Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism said in an interview with German business newspaper Handelsblatt (subscription required), that the letter had been “very well received in Brussels.” He confirmed that the internal combustion engine will likely continue after 2035.
However, there is a caveat. Only cars running on low-emissions renewable fuels, including synthetic and biofuels will be allowed. Among them is HVO100, made from hydrotreated vegetable oil. BMW already powers its diesel cars in Germany with this sustainable fuel, claimed to cut emissions down by 90% compared with conventional diesel engines.
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