Car industry: Transport Minister calls for an end to the combustion engine ban by 2035

It is becoming increasingly questionable whether the end of combustion engines in the EU will come as planned in 2035. Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder ( CDU ) has now clearly expressed his support for allowing new cars with gasoline and diesel engines after this date. The EU rule, adopted in 2023, is intended to slow the progression of global warming and protect the climate.

Schnieder said in the ARD interview of the week: "We simply want it to be possible to continue working with combustion technology beyond 2035." Germany had already secured the exemption in the EU, allowing not only electric cars, but also combustion engines that use e-fuels and are supposed to be "climate-neutral." According to Schnieder, there is "a need to keep other forms possible, even if only as a bridging technology." Such as hybrid drives, and "in case of doubt," also with CO₂ emissions.

The minister intends to build pressure on the EU accordingly. Talks are currently underway between the automotive industry and the EU Commission leadership: "These are precisely the issues we'll be discussing. And we'll do so in the political arena as well."

Chancellor Friedrich Merz also made a similar statement at the opening of the IAA Mobility motor show in Munich, albeit less specifically. While the transition to electric mobility remains fundamentally intact, "we need more flexibility in regulation," the Chancellor declared.

The leader of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber (CSU), has now taken a more explicit stance: "I promise the Europeans an end to the combustion engine ban," he told Welt am Sonntag . A proposal to this end is to be presented in the fall. While he intends to stick to the goal of climate neutrality, Weber emphasized, the path to achieving it must remain open. "The ideological errors of the last legislative period must be corrected," he told the newspaper, calling for the use of "AI gigafactories" for vehicle development, test regions for new technologies such as autonomous driving, and a virtual automotive university.

He also wants to intensify dialogue with employees in the auto industry. "It's important that we secure jobs in the auto industry and win over the workers." This might also slow the rise of right-wing populists, Weber said.

The EU Commission is responding to the current anti-climate sentiment. It will bring forward the review of CO₂ limits for cars from 2035, originally scheduled for next year, by one year. This accommodates the automotive industry. Following the third Strategic Dialogue with leading representatives of the automotive industry, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU Commission had listened to the industry's concerns and granted flexibility. "We will combine decarbonization and technology neutrality," she declared on Friday.

It is unclear what proposals the EU Commission will make regarding the targets for 2035. Possible options include CO₂-neutral fuels that can be used for combustion engines or generators in range extenders.

Hildegard Müller, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), said the review could form the basis for the necessary decisions. "Adjusting the 2035 CO₂ fleet regulation reduction target to minus 90 percent remains of key importance." Clarity must be achieved at the next strategic dialogue in December. Christophe Périllat, CEO of the French automotive supplier Valeo, made a similar statement in Welt am Sonntag . Audi CEO Gernot Döllner, however, told Wirtschaftswoche that constantly sparking new debates about preserving the combustion engine is "counterproductive and unsettles customers."

Transport Minister Schnieder welcomed von der Leyen's announcement. Climate protection remains the goal, but it must be compatible with economic viability and acceptance, Schnieder said. "That's why it's right to include all drive options – from battery-electric vehicles to hydrogen and climate-neutral synthetic fuels." The German automotive industry, Schnieder said, will only succeed in the transformation if it is strong. "We will also only be able to meet climate targets if we are economically strong."

The European auto industry is currently under massive pressure. It is suffering from US President Donald Trump's tariff policy, which is resulting in billions of euros in additional costs for US business, and the weakness of the Chinese business. In addition, sales of electric cars in Europe are not growing as strongly as originally expected. According to an insider, suppliers in particular had pushed for a review of emissions regulations.

Stéphane Séjourné, the Commission's Vice-President for Industry, recently told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that he was convinced "2035 must remain," even though more flexibility was necessary to avoid social and economic disruption. Séjourné added that the course itself would not be changed.