After a tough struggle, the EU environment ministers have agreed to end combustion engines from 2035. Environmental organizations find that too little. For the industry associations, on the other hand, that goes much too far.
Environmental groups have criticized the EU states’ decision to use combustion engines. The main criticism was that combustion cars should have a future with e-fuels after 2035.
“E-fuels are a sham solution, they are inefficient, not automatically climate-neutral and will remain expensive and limited in availability for the foreseeable future,” said Antje von Broock, Managing Director of the BUND, on Wednesday in Berlin. The executive Greenpeace board member Martin Kaiser spoke of a “pie in the sky” and a watered-down exit from the combustion engine.
The ministers responsible for the environment in the 27 EU countries agreed on Wednesday night that only climate-neutral new cars should be sold in the European Union from 2035. At the same time, the EU Commission will make a proposal as to how vehicles can still be registered after 2035 that will then be operated exclusively with climate-neutral fuels (e-fuels). The FDP had insisted on this in Germany.
Criticism from the auto industry
The industry association VDA, on the other hand, complains that there are still not enough charging stations for electric cars in Europe. The agreement from the night still provides for a de facto ban on vehicles with combustion engines from 2035. “On e-fuels, it seems to have been enough for a declaration of intent, the implementation of which is open,” said VDA President Hildegard Müller. E-fuels – i.e. fuels produced with renewable energy – are important in order to achieve the climate goals.
The car importers association VDIK also called for a faster expansion of the charging infrastructure. In Europe, it should also be possible to use all drive technologies that enable climate-friendly mobility in the future.
Clearer commitment desired
“We would have liked an even clearer commitment to battery-electric drives,” said von Broock. That would also have given the automotive industry more planning security. “It is incomprehensible why the FDP is so vehemently committed to individual interests. If it is possible to register new passenger cars with combustion engines after 2035, this could lead to unnecessary bad investments.”
Kaiser said: “It is an important signal that the EU is setting a clear end date for combustion engines that are harmful to the climate, but this ban comes far too late to achieve the 1.5-degree target in transport and quickly end Europe’s dependence on oil . It is annoying that the EU now has to continue to deal with the sham solution of inefficient and expensive e-fuels, which have no place in the car market. The “pie in the sky” e-fuels is slowing down the upcoming restructuring of the auto industry, misleading consumers and throwing back climate protection.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
