After a long trail through various institutions Europa on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, final approval was given for the plan to internal combustion engines from January 1, 2035. From then on, new passenger cars or light commercial vehicles with a combustion engine may no longer be sold on our continent. This means the end of an era and – in theory – the breakthrough of the electric car.
Having said that, it is not all that simple. Although the Italian environment minister spoke positively about the end of the internal combustion engine, the Italian government already for the second time stated that they not agreed goes with this decision.
Advertisement – read more below
Suicide
A year ago, the Italian Minister for Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani – who is now an energy adviser in the government of Giorgia Meloni – already sharp criticism voiced at the end of the internal combustion engine. And he’s clearly not the only one who feels that way, because the current one Minister of Mobility and Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvinihas just described the decision as “ideological fundamentalism, suicide and a gift to China”. Salvini clearly does not mince words…
Mattéo Salvini’s words are, of course, intended to Italian car industry the to protect, which has flourished again since the formation of the great Stellantis group. The politician fears a major wave of layoffs in an industry that is good for 270.000 jobs in 5 percent of GDP of the peninsula. Symptomatic is that Salvini does not speak for himself, but for the entire Italian government. That means he has the support of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloniwho himself had already stated that the phasing out of the internal combustion engine in 2035 according to Italy pointless and would harm her country’s industry. Share according to Meloni other European countries that point of view. But she did not name them.
Is revision clause activated?
This case is clearly leading to major ones disagreements. The Frenchman Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, made no secret of his concerns about the impact on employment and the affordability of electric cars. He is diametrically opposed to one of his colleagues – and boss – Frans Timmermans, the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Green Deal. So it is a sensitive subject.
At the request of some countries, including Germany and Italy, the 27 Member States have agreed to possibly give the green light to alternative technologies, such as synthetic fuels (e-fuels) or plug-in hybrids if they can achieve the goal of carbon neutrality for cars. This is the famous one review clause which will be discussed in 2026 depending on the evolution of electrification of the European fleet. We can’t predict anything, but given the heated debates and showdowns, the chances of this clause coming into effect are increasing…
