Germany and EU reach agreement on future of combustion engines

The German government has reached an agreement with the European Union on phasing out sales of new cars with combustion engines by 2035. The deal is part of the EU’s strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

The agreement has ended a dispute over whether manufacturers will be able to produce cars running on so-called e-fuels after 2035. New cars will still be allowed to be registered after that date, provided the fuel they use is carbon-neutral, DW reported.

The compromise has drawn a wave of criticism, including from advocates of electric mobility. Critics of the e-fuels proposal argue that producing e-fuels is very costly and energy-intensive. Using these fuels in a car with a combustion engine requires around five times more renewable electricity than running a battery electric vehicle.

The German government initially proposed phasing out vehicles with combustion engines by 2030, but faced opposition from some members of the governing coalition as well as domestic and foreign carmakers. The compromise sets a 2035 deadline for all new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles to be zero-emission.