The EU Commission issued the “Fit for 55” plan, which contains guidelines to allegedly cut emissions by 55% by 2030. Two measures stick out: mandating zero emissions for new combustion engines by 2035 – which amounts to banning them – and a tariff on “climate hostile” imports.
The Association of European carmakers (ACEA) issued an initial comment, saying that “banning a single technology is not a rational way forward at this stage.” ACEA also points to the fact that the Commission target of 3.5 million charging stations for electric cars is far below the needed level of 6 million.
“It is not the internal combustion engine that is detrimental to the environment, but fossil-based fuels. Without the availability of renewable fuels, a 100% reduction target in 2035 is effectively a ban of the internal combustion engine,” ACEA says in a release.
The German economic daily Handelsblatt compares the EU tactics to the way Al Capone was finally convicted. The Chicago gangster was not indicted for his main crimes but for tax evasion. Without formally banning internal combustion engines, the EU found the way to terminate them.
