EU 2035 Reversal: Playing for Time Won’t Make European Carmakers Great Again - CleanTechnica

The article discusses the European Commission’s recent proposal to relax the EU’s 2035 phase-out target for combustion engine vehicle sales, shifting from a zero-emissions goal to a 90% CO2 reduction target. This change would allow the continued sale of high-emission combustion engine vehicles and reduce battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales by up to 25% compared to the original target. The proposal includes granting carmakers credits for using green steel, advanced biofuels, and e-fuels, which Transport & Environment (T&E) criticizes as ineffective and potentially increasing reliance on unsustainable imports. T&E warns that extending combustion engine sales will divert crucial investment away from electrification, undermining Europe’s ability to compete with China’s rapidly advancing EV industry. While the EU introduced national electrification targets for large corporate fleets, T&E argues these targets lack ambition and allow plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to count despite their higher real-world emissions, especially in corporate contexts where