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In June 2023, it looked like the internal combustion engine was doomed in Europe. At that time, European Union (EU) member states, at the Council of Environment Ministers, decided to ban new registration of vehicles with internal combustion engines as of January 1, 2035. The ban on combustion engines, a series of “green” measures that will strengthen the EU economy and society by 2050, should lead to full CO₂ neutrality. And this ban will not go unnoticed in Switzerland, because new Swiss cars must comply with EU rules. This means that from 2035, new vehicles with petrol or diesel engines will also be taboo.
However, this decision no longer seems final. Ahead of the new European Parliament (EP) elections to be held between 6-9 June, especially conservative European politicians are once again questioning the end of the internal combustion engine. Above all, German Manfred Weber (51, CSU) is attempting to come out of hiding. The former President of the EU Parliament and current chairman of the European People’s Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament said: “If my group can form a majority after the European elections, we will lift the ban on internal combustion engines that the European Parliament decided in 2013 during this legislative period.” Election campaign noise? Or is it a realistic political goal?
Resistance was great
Before the council’s decision last June, politicians in countries such as Poland, Bulgaria and Italy, as well as Germany in particular, had undermined the ban on internal combustion engines. German Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (53, FDP) and his party opposed this and did not want to accept the de facto technology ban on the internal combustion engine. Why: In addition to electrification, Wissing also makes use of so-called e-fuels, that is, synthetically produced fuel from CO₂ and renewable electricity. E-fuels can be burned in a CO₂-neutral manner in conventional combustion engines and sold through regular gas stations. However: The relevant production facilities still exist on a small scale and e-fuels are also more expensive than fossil fuels. Aviation and shipping in particular are keen on clean fuel to reduce CO₂, as aircraft and cargo ships can hardly be electrified economically. It is quite possible that there will be little e-fuel left for cars.
But from the German perspective, as a transition technology and for existing vehicles, e-fuels can relieve the automotive industry from the pressure to switch to electrification and at the same time slow down the loss of jobs in the field of classical automotive technology. As the European elections approach, the election campaign is also likely to play a role: electric car sales are stagnating, customers are skeptical due to relatively high electric car prices. The possibility of extending the life of gasoline and diesel engines would be just the right time to win votes.
Will there be a majority in the EP to lift the internal combustion engine ban? Not for now. And only after the election if right-wing national parties such as the German AfD, the French RN or the Italian Fratelli d’Italia can translate the momentum in their own countries into vote gains at the European level. On the other hand, the conservative EPP should not be expected to join forces with these parties and form a pro-burning pact.
The automotive industry has come a long way
And finally, the automotive industry has long defined its future in Europe as electric. For CEOs like Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares (65), it is clear that there is no turning back from the politically defined course of electromobility. Especially since hundreds of billions of euros have been invested in electric cars and infrastructure. Tavares even terminated his group’s membership in the ACEA union of European automakers, as the association continued to oppose banning internal combustion engines. Hildegard Müller (56), President of the German Automobile Manufacturers Association VDA, recently called for clear political commitment and reliable framework conditions to ensure a return to e-mobility.
Manfred Weber has been rowing ever since. In two years, the EU wants to check whether a ban on internal combustion engines will be possible from 2035, depending on charging infrastructure and e-car sales. Weber wants to use this opportunity to explicitly allow internal combustion vehicles powered by e-fuels in law. Lifting the ban completely? It’s not talked about anymore.
Source: Blick
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
