Germany and Europe’s industrial powerhouse is pressuring European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to rethink green laws.
The European Union’s plan to outlaw the sale of new gas and diesel cars by 2035 is facing increasing political and industry pushback, with senior figures now openly questioning and casting doubt on the measures.
The automotive industry is a cornerstone of the European economy, employing more than 13 million people and contributing around 7 percent of EU GDP, but it faces intense competition from China and the planned transition to electric vehicles (EVs).
The EU legislation requires that all new cars produce zero CO₂ emissions, effectively banning new vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE), fueled by gas or diesel, by 2035.
However, what once flew as Europe’s proud green banner is now, to some in the industry, starting to look like buyer’s remorse.
‘Germans Are the Key Players’
BMW CEO Oliver Zipse said in an interview with Politico, published on Sept. 5, that the EU’s 2035 combustion engine ban is a “huge mistake.”
“I think we’re doing ourselves a disservice by choosing an almost arbitrary point in the future where we say all industries have to align themselves with it by then,” he said.
In August, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kaellenius told the German-language business newspaper Handelsblatt, “We need a reality check. Otherwise, we are heading at full speed against a wall.”
Kaellenius said that instead of setting an end date for new combustion cars, sales of electric vehicles could be boosted with tax incentives and lower electricity prices.
Meanwhile, Audi CEO Gernot Dollner told the German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche on Sept. 15 that electric vehicles are “better technology.”
Richard Schenk, political analyst at the conservative think tank MCC Brussels, told The Epoch Times that Germany is the key player in any potential shift, and the country is building pressure on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to act.
“Specifically, the Germans are the key players, because if they change their mind, then the entire majorities within the EU are changing,” Schenk said. “The Polish and the Italians are on board anyway, the French are currently still making up their minds, but if the Germans change their minds, most likely they would follow in this case.”
He noted that because the ban is enshrined in EU regulation, the European Commission must act first.
“Ursula von der Leyen is the key player here,” he said.
