Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) has threatened the EU Commission in Brussels with a veto on the end of cars with combustion engines planned for the European Union from 2035. The operation of passenger cars with synthetic fuels – so-called e-fuels – must also be possible after 2035, Wissing told the editors of the “Bild” newspaper. These fuels are made from green hydrogen, for example, and are climate-neutral.
The EU Parliament recently decided that no new vehicles with combustion engines should be registered in the EU after 2035. Wissing is now threatening to veto if e-fuels are also banned. The decision on this is still pending. “Against the background of the enormous existing fleet of cars that we have in Germany alone, there can only be a compromise for the FDP on the fleet limits if the use of e-fuels is also possible,” the minister explained to the editor. Germany otherwise I would not be able to agree to the upcoming votes.
Yesterday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hinted that Italy could withdraw from the front line if there were a ban on combustion engines. Meloni fears for the existence of the Italian automotive industry, which largely belongs to the global Stellantis group. The company had left the European manufacturers’ association ACEA because they had unsuccessfully opposed the ban on combustion engines. Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares is a declared opponent of focusing on the electric drive. The multi-brand group Stellantis includes mass manufacturers such as Fiat, Citroen and Peugeot.
In the meantime, the e-Fuel Alliance, an association of companies interested in alternative, climate-neutral fuels, also welcomes the fact that “the federal government is revising its previous position on the inclusion of e-fuels in the CO2 fleet regulation for passenger cars”. Managing Director Ralf Diemer states that with a changed law “conventional vehicles together with electric vehicles that are operated with renewable electricity could make a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions in road traffic”. (awm)
