Italy and Germany join carmakers’ calls to reconsider EU internal combustion engine ban / Article

In August, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni dismissed the 2035 ban target as ideological madness.

The European car industry is currently facing serious problems, struggling with the slow and expensive transition to electric cars, as well as the entry of cheap Chinese electric cars into the market.

Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso has stressed that the European car industry has collapsed and predicted tens of thousands of job losses if the European Union (EU) does not change course.

In his view, the EU has two options. The first of them is to maintain the goal and create the conditions that would allow the automotive industry to achieve it. This is supported by the Minister of Economic Affairs of Germany, Robert Habeck, whose country is home to Europe’s largest car manufacturer Volkswagen, which has fallen on hard times. The second option, according to the Italian minister, is simply to postpone the achievement of the goals set by Brussels.

CONTEXT:

European Parliament (EP) in February 2023 vote for a new ban on internal combustion cars from 2035. Supporters of the law argue that it is an important prerequisite for the EU to achieve climate neutrality.

European politicians want all cars and minibuses in Europe to be emission-free by around 2050, or less than 30 years from now. Since the average life of a car is 15 years, to reach this goal, action must be taken already in 2035.

Critics believe that neither European car manufacturers nor car owners are ready for such drastic changes.

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