In a move that might be “too little, too late” to rescue the automotive sector, the German government has demanded the EU Commission reverse the forthcoming ban on internal combustion engines. In a letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which Die Zeit has read, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote that although electric mobility is the key technology of the future on the road to climate neutrality, “At the same time, however, more flexibility and openness to technology are needed to take into account the different starting conditions and innovation paths in Europe.”
Merz underlined that the ban is putting unbearable stress on automakers, who are facing rising energy and production costs, as well as uncertain supply chains.
Merz demands that “After 2035, in addition to purely battery-electric vehicles, cars with dual drive systems consisting of battery drive and internal combustion engines should continue to be newly registered, provided that the remaining emissions in the automotive and fuel sectors are offset.” In addition, supplementary transitional technologies such as plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), electric vehicles with range extenders (EREVs), and “highly efficient internal combustion engines” should also be allowed to be registered after 2035.
