EU Set to Water Down Petrol and Diesel Car Ban, Threatening Green Deal Ambitions
The European Union's plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035 is set to be softened, a senior MEP has revealed. Manfred Weber, president of the European People's party group in the European parliament, claimed that the technology ban on combustion engines would be removed, allowing the continued production and sale of hybrid vehicles.
Weber's statement comes as environmental campaigners express outrage over what they see as a major climbdown from the EU's green deal ambitions. The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has been an outspoken advocate for changes to the rules, arguing that it is unrealistic to expect all cars off the road by 2035.
The current rules require all new car models to be zero CO2 emissions by 2035, effectively ending the production of hybrid vehicles and those running on fossil fuels. However, Weber claims that this deadline will be extended, allowing manufacturers to continue producing engines currently manufactured in Germany.
Critics argue that this decision will delay the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and keep millions of European families stuck driving dirtier and more expensive petrol cars for longer. Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, warned that the softening of the ban would "keep Europeans stuck in a cycle of increasing emissions".
The decision has sparked tensions within the car industry, with some manufacturers, such as Volvo and Polestar, opposing changes to the rules, arguing it would give an unfair advantage to Chinese rivals. Weber, however, claims that the rule change will be beneficial, securing tens of thousands of industrial jobs.
To mitigate this, the EU is set to propose a package of measures to incentivise Europeans to buy small EVs, drawing inspiration from Japan's tax breaks for electric kei cars and Norway's VAT exemptions. This push aims to counterbalance the growing presence of Chinese electric cars in the bloc.
The 2035 ban has been a contentious issue since its introduction, with some European countries struggling to keep pace with the UK's rapid adoption of EVs. The EU's green deal ambitions are now facing significant scrutiny, as policymakers struggle to balance competing interests and make meaningful progress towards reducing emissions.
The European Union's plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035 is set to be softened, a senior MEP has revealed. Manfred Weber, president of the European People's party group in the European parliament, claimed that the technology ban on combustion engines would be removed, allowing the continued production and sale of hybrid vehicles.
Weber's statement comes as environmental campaigners express outrage over what they see as a major climbdown from the EU's green deal ambitions. The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has been an outspoken advocate for changes to the rules, arguing that it is unrealistic to expect all cars off the road by 2035.
The current rules require all new car models to be zero CO2 emissions by 2035, effectively ending the production of hybrid vehicles and those running on fossil fuels. However, Weber claims that this deadline will be extended, allowing manufacturers to continue producing engines currently manufactured in Germany.
Critics argue that this decision will delay the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and keep millions of European families stuck driving dirtier and more expensive petrol cars for longer. Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, warned that the softening of the ban would "keep Europeans stuck in a cycle of increasing emissions".
The decision has sparked tensions within the car industry, with some manufacturers, such as Volvo and Polestar, opposing changes to the rules, arguing it would give an unfair advantage to Chinese rivals. Weber, however, claims that the rule change will be beneficial, securing tens of thousands of industrial jobs.
To mitigate this, the EU is set to propose a package of measures to incentivise Europeans to buy small EVs, drawing inspiration from Japan's tax breaks for electric kei cars and Norway's VAT exemptions. This push aims to counterbalance the growing presence of Chinese electric cars in the bloc.
The 2035 ban has been a contentious issue since its introduction, with some European countries struggling to keep pace with the UK's rapid adoption of EVs. The EU's green deal ambitions are now facing significant scrutiny, as policymakers struggle to balance competing interests and make meaningful progress towards reducing emissions.
this news is like, totally bugging me! I mean, I get it, extending the ban on petrol and diesel cars makes sense financially for European countries, but like, what's the point of even having a green deal if we're not gonna go all in? 
We need to be setting an example for the rest of the world, not softening our stance because some manufacturers are getting anxious about losing business. Electric cars are the future, duh! 
And what's with this nonsense about giving Chinese rivals an unfair advantage? Can't we just support homegrown brands like Polestar and Volvo? 
It feels like we're being played by big corporations trying to stay competitive in a rapidly changing market. This is all so frustrating 
.
. I mean, we all know that the EU's got its eyes on reducing emissions, but I didn't think they'd back down from making it happen so soon 
. Hybrid cars are still a thing, right? Like, my friend's sister has one and it's not like it's all electric or anything 
. Anyway, I guess this is a step in the right direction... maybe 
. We'll just have to wait and see how this plays out, but I'm kinda disappointed that we won't be seeing more EVs on our roads by 2035 
.
I mean, let's be real, 2035 is still just five years away... it's not like we can't prepare our industries and infrastructure for this change.
I just hope the EU is careful not to create a situation where manufacturers feel like they're being left behind.
and don't even get me started on the emissions... we need to be leading the charge not falling behind 
i'm so fed up with this 
It feels like all the efforts are being for nothing. I was looking forward to seeing more significant changes, not just tweaks to the timeline. And what about all the jobs that will be lost in the car industry because of this? 
I'm still holding out hope that they'll come back stronger and more determined than ever...
this is so annoying, europeans just wanna be cool like norway and japan but china is just gonna flood the market with cheap electric cars and screw everyone over 
meanwhile eu says let's water down our own rules to keep hybrid vehicles on the road that's just crazy talk 
it's like the EU is just throwing up its hands and saying "oh well, maybe next year" meanwhile the clock keeps ticking and our emissions keep rising 
lets hope they find a way to make it work and still reduce emissions but this softening of the ban seems super counterproductive 
i need more info on what incentives they are proposing tho 
. I know some folks in Germany thought it was unrealistic, but still, delaying the transition will just keep us stuck driving dirty cars for longer 
. We need to be more ambitious if we want to tackle this issue, not less 
. It sounds like the EU is going to let some car manufacturers off the hook, which means we'll be stuck driving dirtier cars for longer 
. And it's not just about the environment – it's also about our wallets 
. Those cleaner electric cars are a bit more expensive now, but at least they're better for the planet. I'm not sure why some car companies don't want to switch to electric yet 
. i mean, i'm all for saving the planet and all but can't they just make up their minds? first it was 2035 then 2040 now who knows. and what's with all these exceptions and compromises? it feels like they're giving in to big business and not really thinking about the people. and china is getting all the sweet electric car deals 
this is really disappointing news... i mean, 2035 was already super ambitious for the EU to get everyone off petrol & diesel by then, but extending it a bit makes me think they're not taking climate change seriously enough... 
What's the point of having a goal if you can just change your mind?