EU decides final end for combustion engines

From 2035, only zero-emission cars will be allowed to be newly registered in the EU.

The EU agreed on this on Tuesday after strong resistance from Germany.

Brussels – From 2035, new cars with traditional combustion engines will no longer be allowed to be sold in the EU.

The EU states decided on Tuesday.

The decision was preceded by a week-long, stubborn blockade by the federal government.

After a tough struggle, Transport Minister Volker Wissing had pushed through that even after 2035 it should still be possible to register combustion cars that are only fueled with climate-friendly synthetic fuels.

Actually, negotiators from the EU states and the European Parliament had already agreed on the project at the end of October.

In an unusual procedure, however, the federal government made additional demands and thus delayed the confirmation of the negotiation result by several weeks.

This had caused great resentment in several member countries.

EU end for combustion engines: "The way to 100 percent emission-free mobility"

"The way is clear for 100 percent emission-free mobility," said Austria's Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler before a meeting of the EU ministers responsible for energy on Tuesday.

She was glad that the blockade was resolved.

"I think it's a shame that a loophole was now needed to take procrastinators along with them." On Friday evening, the federal government reached an agreement with the EU Commission on the compromise on the use of e-fuels.

After the decision of the energy ministers, the member states can now start implementation.

From 2030, the CO2 emissions of new vehicles may be 55 percent below 2021 levels.

From 2035, new vehicles will not be allowed to emit any CO2 at all.

E-fuels can be produced using renewable electricity from water and carbon dioxide extracted from the air.

Unlike petrol or diesel, they do not release any additional climate-damaging gases.

Critics complain, among other things, that they are needed more urgently in shipping and aviation.

In addition, production is still very expensive.

Critics also complain that the production of e-fuels is extremely expensive.

In addition, a lot of electricity is required.

The energy balance is "creepy", complains about the car expert Prof. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer.