- EU reportedly plans to soften its 2035 combustion engine ban.
- Lawmakers may allow green fuels beyond the 2035 deadline.
- New regulations are expected to be announced later this week.
After years of policy wrangling and behind-the-scenes bargaining, the European Union appears poised to walk back one of its most ambitious climate mandates.
The bloc is reportedly scaling down its planned 2035 ban on combustion-powered petrol and diesel cars, a move that follows persistent pressure from industry leaders, particularly in Germany and Italy, and comes despite objections from brands like Volvo and Polestar that had supported the original plan.
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Following reports last week that lawmakers were softening their stance on the ban, the leader of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, told German newspaper Bild that the bloc has agreed to ease its mandate from a full ban on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2035 to a 90 percent reduction instead.
Weber also stated that a full ICE ban wouldn’t be coming by 2040 either, though he didn’t clarify whether a new target year is under consideration.
While speaking at a press conference in Germany late last week, Weber said that the European Commission will present its revised proposal on Tuesday.
Plug-Ins Get a Lifeline Too
“The technology ban on combustion engines is off the table,” he told Bild. “All engines currently manufactured in Germany can therefore continue to be produced and sold.” Weber added that the EU can now pave the way for the continued sale of plug-in hybrid models, including those with longer driving ranges.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, also present at the press conference, endorsed the decision, saying it now offers the automotive sector “real planning security.”
Earlier in December, Merz had written directly to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urging the body to allow continued production and sale of ICE-powered vehicles past the 2035 deadline.
That letter, according to European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, was “very well received in Brussels.”
Although the Commission’s revised legislation has not yet been made public, Tzitzikostas recently hinted that alternative fuels may feature more prominently in the new framework, citing “zero- and low-emission fuels, and advanced biofuels” as possible avenues for compliance.
