BMW’s CEO: Europe must cancel the combustion engine ban – Would reduce dependence on China

Europe must withdraw its plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035. So says the German car manufacturer BMW:n managing director Oliver Zipse.

According to Zipse, canceling the combustion engine ban would reduce Europe’s dependence on China, especially on Chinese battery supply chains.

In March of last year, the EU decided that from 2035 only carbon dioxide-free cars will be sold. In practice, the decision prohibits the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars. You can continue to drive old combustion engine cars even after 2035.

The ban has been sought to be mitigated by possibly allowing cars that run on non-fossil, i.e. synthetic fuels, for example.

However, according to Zipse, the combustion engine ban is a serious threat to the European car industry. It would lead to a “massive shrinking” of the industry, reports the Reuters news agency.

According to Zipse, who spoke at the Paris auto show, the bottom has fallen out of the ban. It is no longer realistic because sales of electric cars are lower than predicted, and subsidizing their purchase is unsustainable in the long run.

Zipse has previously spoken in favor of alternative fuels such as bio and e-fuels. BMW also invests in the development of hydrogen or fuel cell cars.

In addition to BMW, car manufacturers Volkswagen and Renault have demanded the loosening or postponement of the carbon dioxide emission targets. Italy has opposed the ban, and the country’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni has called it “suicidal”.

Emission standards are getting stricter

The EU will tighten the emission targets for car manufacturers next year. If they don’t sell more electric cars, the manufacturers face fines of up to 15 billion euros, he says Automotive News Europe.

According to Bloomberg’s analysis, BMW and Mercedes are reaching increasingly stringent targets, but Volkswagen, Stellar and Renault do not. Companies can buy emission credits to avoid fines from other manufacturers, such as From Tesla.

The European car manufacturers’ association ACEA has demanded that the EU postpone the emission tightening planned for 2025 by two years.

BMW participated in the Paris Motor Show last week. In the video below, a concept car presenting BMW’s future model.