The European Union’s planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 is set to be withdrawn, according to senior figures in the European Parliament, where it is prompting strong opposition from the environmental sector.
The decision, which is expected to be announced by the European Commission this week in Strasbourg, will mark an important return to one of the most important planks in the green portable space. Campaigners have warned that any barrier wall would amount to “domestication” of the bloc’s climate ambitions.
Under the existing law renewed in 2022, all new cars sold in the EU from 2035 must produce zero Co₂ emissions, effectively putting petrol, diesel and hybrid cars. However, Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party, said that the ban on open combustion engines will be taken.
“Technological bans on combustion engines are off the table,” Weber told a German newspaper. “All the engines that are currently being produced are made in Germany so they can continue to be produced and sold.”
His comments come after months of publicity from national leaders and the auto industry. The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, said last week that he supported the retink, arguing that cars with dedicated engines will still dominate the world’s roads beyond 2035.
“The reality is that there will be millions of cars based on these engines worldwide in 2035, 2040 and 2050,” said Merz.
The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgio Meloni, alongside several big cakes, has also pressed for changes that will allow hybrid cars to be sold. Weber suggested that under the revised rules, manufacturers would be required to reduce fleet emissions by 90 percent from 2035, rather than meeting a strict zero-emissions target.
This could open the door to a new generation of plug-in hybrid vehicles with Extended Electric Range but a hybrid engine as a backup for long trips.
Environmental groups have reacted angrily to reports of the rise. Colin Walker, head of Transport at Energy and Choinen Interness, said the reduced rules would keep European families “from driving expensive cars and expensive fuel cars for a long time” and reduce the transition to electric cars.
Some manufacturers, including Volvo and Polestar, have criticized calls to soften the ban, warning that policy uncertainty could help China’s already fast-growing electric car makers.
A spokesperson for the European Commission said the 2035 deadline was still being discussed, adding that Commission representative Ursula von Leyen acknowledged growing calls for “more flexibility” in co₂ targets.
As well as any change in the ban, the commission is expected to propose new incentives to support the production and purchase of small electric cars made in Europe, as part of a wider effort to increase from China.
The debate underscores the deep divisions within the EU How fast the transformation of domestically produced cars, the objective measurement of industrial competition, jobs and consumer demand as its bloc chart its autotive future.
