Transport Minister Volker Wissing is critical of the EU's planned ban on combustion engines and wants to stop Brussels just before the finish line.
Berlin – Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) wants to prevent the planned ban on combustion engines at the last minute.
Conventional cars should come to an end by 2035.
The reason for Wissing's veto: The use of synthetic fuels (e-fuels) for cars must be possible after 2035, the Minister of Transport told the
Bild
newspaper (Tuesday).
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Minister Volker Wissing: Criticizes the EU's ban on internal combustion engines.
© Zacharie Scheurer/dpa
In the past few weeks, the federal government has tried to achieve a special regulation for “eco-fuels”.
So far unsuccessful.
E-fuels are criticized because they are currently produced in an energy-intensive process.
The federal government hopes that this will change by 2035.
That's why Wissing is now making a new attempt: "Against the background of the enormous fleet of cars that we have in Germany alone, there can only be a compromise for the FDP on the fleet limits if the use of e-fuels is also possible," affirmed Wissing.
Otherwise Germany could not agree to the upcoming votes.
Wissing wants the EU to ensure the use of e-fuels
The minister explained that there was a clear mandate for the EU Commission to enable the use of climate-friendly e-fuels in cars.
This applies both to the existing fleet and to combustion engines that will be newly registered after 2035, said Wissing: "To date we have not received any suggestions, only negative statements from Commissioner Frans Timmermans."
According to the previous plan, no new cars with combustion engines should be registered in the EU from 2035.
The EU countries had already agreed on a compromise in October.
Most recently, the EU Parliament approved the new CO2 specifications.
This new regulation would mean that from 2035 only new cars that do not emit greenhouse gases should be sold in the EU.
The EU countries still have to agree.
It should be possible to review the agreement again in 2026.
Federal government split on combustion engine ban
There had been a dispute in the federal government about the question of the ban on combustion engines.
The green-led Ministry of the Environment had spoken out in favor of a clear end to combustion engines.
The compromise paper also includes a request to the EU Commission to check whether e-fuels for cars could be an option in the future.
The FDP in particular had pushed for this in the federal government.
In order to achieve climate goals, all options and technologies must be kept open.
Wissing had already emphasized this after the decision of the EU Parliament in mid-February.
Both for the existing fleet and for new vehicles, e-fuels offer climate-neutral mobility with combustion engines.
The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) also considers synthetic fuels to be essential in order to achieve climate targets.
(dpa/rowa)
List of rubrics: © Zacharie Scheurer/dpa