Oliver Tsipse warns that there are not enough charging stations for electric cars in Germany and Europe, nor enough “green” electricity
BMW chief Oliver Tsipse warned today that setting a deadline for stopping the production of petrol and diesel cars could in fact be harmful to the climate, DPA reported. “We think it could hurt the climate because things aren’t fully thought out,” he said.
Zipse emphasized the fact that there are not enough charging stations for electric cars in Germany and Europe, nor enough “green” electricity. If the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines is banned, then old vehicles will be used even longer.
At the United Nations Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, 24 countries and six major carmakers want to agree on a deadline for the sale and registration of cars with traditional engines. According to this plan, only zero-emission cars and vans can run on the roads of the main markets from 2035.
BMW wants to be carbon neutral by 2050, but Tsipse pointed out that the path to this goal is not as easy as it seems.
Daimler chief Ola Kelenius also said today that while the company has committed to the COP26 agreement to halt production of fossil fuel-powered cars by 2035 in key markets and by 2040 globally, it has not believes that total bans are the solution, Reuters reported.
Earlier, Daimler announced that it would produce all-electric cars by 2030, if market conditions allow, and make its products carbon-neutral by 2039.
Kelenius also commented the chip shortage crisis. According to him, the largest semiconductor manufacturers have informed German luxury car companies that the problems with the global shortage of chips will not be solved by 2023.
At an online summit hosted by Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diss, meanwhile, expressed confidence that he would retain his post next year, dismissing speculation that he would be removed. Dis’s relationship with the powerful works council has strained over how radical the restructuring of Europe’s leading carmaker must be in order to dominate the electric car market.
Dis did not join the engagement of some KOP26 carmakers, such as Daimler and General Motors, to work for the cessation of production of internal combustion cars by 2040.
It may make sense to use synthetic fuel cars in Latin America in 2035, he said.
Dees told Handelsblatt that such a refusal was not feasible. “We need raw materials, new mines, a circular economy. Battery capacity and the construction of a renewable energy network in Europe will be a problem.”
Volkswagen has recently committed to producing all-electric cars in Europe from 2035 and having a carbon-neutral fleet worldwide by 2050.
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