The debate around the ban on the sale of cars with internal combustion engines in the European Union from 2035 is still hot. Pressure from Germany to prevent the community agreement from going ahead has led the European Commission to seek a Solomonic solution to satisfy all parties. The Brussels proposal goes through the introduction of a new category of thermal vehicles that work only with synthetic fuels, although in principle it has been rejected by the largest European car manufacturer.
The door that the European Commission has opened to allow the sale of thermal vehicles beyond 2035 is not official. It is collected in a draft to which Reuters has had access. According to the aforementioned news agency, the proposal suggests creating a new category of vehicles in the EU for cars that can only run on synthetic fuels, known as e-fuels.
These vehicles would have to use technology that prevents them from driving if other fuels are used, according to the draft. This would include a “refueling inducement system” using sensors to prevent the car from starting if it is fueled with fuels that are not carbon neutral, that is, fossil fuels such as gasoline or diesel.
In this way, the European Union intends to avoid confrontation with the largest continental automotive power and one of the largest in the world. With brands such as Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Porsche or Mercedes-Benz, Germany leads the ranking of vehicle production in Europe. Last year it manufactured more than 3.6 million vehicles, more than 50% than the second largest European producer, Spain, from where more than 2.2 million units left its assembly lines.
The Community proposal, however, will hardly go ahead. Sources consulted by the German weekly Der Spiegel assure that the offer has been rejected by the German Transport Minister, Volker Wissing. According to this publication, the head of the Liberal Party and Finance Minister, Christian Lindner, does not welcome the Brussels proposal either. It is probable that before this Thursday, when a summit of European leaders will start, Germany will present a counter-proposal.
According to the German media, Wissing wants to ensure that from 2035 vehicles with traditional engines can continue to be marketed. It sets as a condition that manufacturers pay a fee that finances the generation of e-fuels for a volume equivalent to the consumption that would correspond to the vehicle during its useful life.
Germany’s position against the EU decision to veto the sale of new vehicles with internal combustion engines after 2035 has opened a gap between the community countries. Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria have also expressed their doubts about the proposal previously adopted by Brussels. Other countries, such as France, are in favor of continuing with the planned road map and are asking Germany to stop blocking the agreement.
“We reached an agreement that said there would be no thermal vehicles by 2035. I think we should stick to what we agreed to and I have no doubt that the Germans are going to reach an agreement within their [Government] coalition,” says the French minister of European Affairs, Catherine Colonna.
