Image: APA/AFP/dpa/INA FASSBENDER
The EU states finally decided on Tuesday to largely end new cars with combustion engines after the decision had been blocked by Germany for weeks. The German government pushed through that even after 2035 it should still be possible to re-register combustion cars that are only fueled with climate-friendly synthetic fuels.
Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) said in the run-up to the decision that it still needed a loophole “to take procrastinators on the road”. This will “not be to the advantage of the European auto industry”. But it is important that the blockade has been resolved.
According to the most recent compromise reached between Germany and the EU Commission, new cars with combustion engines can still be registered in the EU after 2035 if they are fueled with climate-neutral fuel. According to Gewessler, however, the industry has already decided that e-mobility is the more efficient and better technology for private transport. E-fuels will be needed in air and shipping traffic, “but they will be scarce and expensive in the long run.”
Video: Gewessler welcomes the end of the blockade
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