The end of cars with internal combustion engines may be approaching. The Federal Government wants to support corresponding plans of the European Council.
The federal government will agree to the European Council’s proposal for the possible end of internal combustion engine cars from 2035. This was announced by a government spokesman on Tuesday afternoon.
Accordingly, the traffic light coalition agreed on the emerging proposal for fleet limits by car manufacturers and the associated de facto end for combustion engines. These are a “contribution on the way to climate-neutral mobility,” the DPA news agency quoted the government spokesman as saying.
Is the end of combustion engines approaching from 2035?
The EU Commission had previously promised that even after 2035, cars with combustion engines that could be operated “exclusively” with so-called e-fuels (i.e. climate-neutral fuels) could still be registered. Whether this drive technology is at all practical, however, is controversial. Most car manufacturers are already researching alternative drive types such as electric motors or hydrogen.
In Luxembourg, the EU environment ministers are currently discussing a common position. A conclusion of the talks – and thus the decision on the future of combustion cars – is not expected until Wednesday night. When voting, the principle of a qualified majority applies. Because countries like Italy and Bulgaria are also struggling with the end of the combustion engine, the outcome is still open despite the traffic light decision.
Cars that have already been registered would not be affected by the de facto end of combustion engines in 2035 and could continue to be driven afterwards.
Source: DPA news agency
