German chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to ask the European Commission to relax the European Union’s plan to end sales of new combustion engine cars by 2035, sharpening a rift over the bloc’s flagship climate measure.
Merz said he would send a letter to Commission president Ursula von der Leyen urging Brussels to leave “technological options” open for manufacturers, rather than enforcing a strict ban on new petrol and diesel models, reported The Guardian.
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“We’re sending the right signal to the commission with this letter,” he said, stressing that the German government wanted to protect the climate in “a technology-neutral way”.
Merz said he would request exemptions so that certain hybrid technologies can continue after 2035.
These include plug-in hybrids, battery hybrids – where driving recharges the battery – and range-extended electric vehicles using “highly efficient” combustion engines as a backup for long-distance travel.
“I will ask the commission, even after 2035, to continue to allow battery-electric vehicles that also have a combustion engine,” he said.
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By GlobalDataHe argued it was “much more opportune and pragmatic” to invest in hybrid systems that “combine the best of the world of internal combustion engines on the one hand and electric mobility on the other”.
The 2035 phase-out, designed to support the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal, has drawn complaints from some carmakers, who say slow take-up of electric vehicles makes the current timetable difficult to meet.
In September, the Commission said it would bring forward a review of the rules to give the industry more planning certainty.
Merz has long opposed the ban but needed agreement within Germany’s coalition before presenting a unified position.
SPD vice-chancellor and finance minister Lars Klingbeil confirmed his party backed revisions.
“The future viability of the German automotive industry, securing jobs, that is the key argument for us,” Klingbeil said. “We agree that the future of the industry is electric … but we need to be open to more technologies, we need flexibility.”
Germany’s car industry is grappling with heavy investment demands for electric vehicles and strong competition from Chinese rivals.
Markus Söder, leader of the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, said the government planned a subsidy of up to €5,000 for buyers of electric or hybrid cars with a high share of components made in Germany, aiming to bolster domestic producers.
In Brussels, European Commission vice-president Stéphane Séjourné said on Wednesday the EU was ready to show “flexibility” on how the phase-out is achieved, ahead of an announcement expected on 10 December.
Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho, asked whether Germany’s stance might alter the 2035 plan, noted that a consultation closed on 10 October.
“We’re talking of a very, very important proposal that has big implications around Europe,” she was quoted as saying by news publication.
“We will carefully study everything that comes our way, including the position of the German government today.”
Opposition to any weakening of the deadline remains strong among firms heavily invested in electrification.
Volvo, its electric brand Polestar, and other companies that have committed substantial funds to EV and battery production are firmly against softening the 2035 target.
