Author: Michael Cartwright

The European Union has decided to revise its planned restrictions on combustion engine vehicles, easing its previously proposed 2035 target amid slowing electric vehicle (EV) adoption and renewed investment by automakers in combustion and hybrid technologies. Under the original plan, the EU aimed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from new vehicles’ tailpipes by 100% compared with 2021 levels, effectively requiring all new cars sold after 2035 to be fully electric. The revised approach lowers that target to a 90% reduction, allowing certain vehicles with combustion engines to remain on the market beyond 2035. See also: EU Approves Sweden’s Climate Social…

A proposed 90% cut in car carbon dioxide emissions by 2035, put forward last week by the European Commission, could allow a significant number of vehicles with combustion engines to remain on the road beyond that date, according to an analysis by environmental group Transport & Environment (T&E). Sebastian Bock, managing director of T&E Germany, said the headline target appeared less stringent when translated into regulatory detail. “A 90% emissions reduction for cars sounds like a reasonable compromise. Until you look at the details,” Bock wrote in a LinkedIn post. He added that under certain assumptions, the proposal could mean…

The European Commission is preparing to scrap plans for an effective ban on new combustion engine cars from 2035, according to Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament. “Next Tuesday, the European Commission will be putting forward a clear proposal to abolish the ban on combustion engines,” Weber told a press conference in Heidelberg, Germany. See also: EU Weighs Extending Plug-In Hybrid and Range-Extender Registrations to 2040 Under New Automobile Package Weber said the ban would be replaced by a requirement for automakers to cut fleet-wide CO2 emissions by 90% from…

The European Commission is expected to present its new “Automobile Package” next week, with early indications suggesting the proposal could allow new registrations of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and range-extender vehicles (EREVs) for an additional five years beyond the current 2035 deadline. According to a Bloomberg report, the extension would apply only to models incorporating an internal combustion engine as part of an electrified drivetrain and would not reinstate approvals for conventional ICE vehicles or mild and full hybrids. See also: European EV Industry Urges EU to Maintain 2035 Zero-Emission Car Target Under the draft considerations, any extension would be subject…

Leaders from across Europe’s electric car industry on Wednesday called on the European Commission to uphold the bloc’s commitment to effectively ban the sale of new combustion-engine cars by 2035, cautioning that any reversal would destabilize investment and increase the competitive advantage of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers. The appeal comes ahead of the EU executive’s anticipated unveiling of a new automotive package on December 16. The package is expected to address CO2 targets and potentially introduce greater flexibility concerning the 2035 deadline, following lobbying efforts by certain European automakers and the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). See also: Automakers…

A coalition of 67 companies, including global automakers BMW and Toyota, alongside major auto rental and leasing firms across Europe, submitted a letter to the European Commission on Monday urging it not to impose mandatory targets for the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs) for corporate fleets. The signatories argued that such a mandate would be “cripplingly expensive and counter-productive” and damage the market. Corporate fleets, which include company cars, account for an estimated 50 to 60 per cent of all new car sales in the European Union (EU). See also: Ford CEO Warns EU on Electric Vehicle Transition, Calls for…

Ford Motor Company Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley has publicly criticized the European Union’s aggressive mandate to transition to electric vehicles (EVs), asserting that the current regulatory framework is “totally out of touch” with market realities. The comments come as the U.S. automaker seeks to maintain flexibility in its powertrain options globally, having recently praised a new proposal from the Trump administration aimed at softening existing fuel economy regulations in the United States. See also: Ford CEO Says U.S. Fuel-Economy Reset Will Still Support EV Investment While Boosting Affordability https://twitter.com/jimfarley98/status/1998042473629716607 However, Ford is simultaneously campaigning against the EU’s current rules,…