The EU 2035 Combustion Engine Ban Has European Automakers Wanting More Time

The EU 2035 combustion engine ban looms large, with the timeframe only a decade away. Are European automakers feeling the pressure that comes with this ban?

European carmakers are pushing back hard against the EU’s plan to ban combustion engine sales by 2035. They’re asking regulators to pump the brakes or at least give them more time to make the switch.

The European market isn’t ready yet

The pushback isn’t surprising. Building electric vehicles at scale is expensive, charging infrastructure is still patchy across Europe, and consumer demand hasn’t caught up with regulatory timelines. Now the industry is telling Brussels what they’ve been saying privately for months: this deadline is too aggressive.
What happens next could reshape the entire European auto market. If the EU bends, other regions might follow their lead and ease up on EV mandates. If they hold firm, automakers will have to figure out how to sell electric cars to customers who aren’t ready to buy them yet.

Will the EU 2035 combustion engine ban hold firm?

This is the question that’s looming large in Europe. If the European EV mandates continue forward as they stand today, the entire industry will be electric by 2035. Current European auto industry regulations have become challenging for automakers, but there is no guarantee they won’t be expected to sell only EVs within a decade. The automaker pushback on electric vehicles might not pay off, which means they must continue to work toward larger numbers of electric models in their lineups. In addition to the challenging move to EVs, pushing forward with the combustion vehicle sales restrictions could potentially cost thousands of jobs across the continent.

What happens if the EU gas car ban is delayed?

It might be too soon for automakers to start begging for the ban to be extended to future years or softened, but the conversation has begun. If the EU enacts a gas car ban delay, which would push back the restrictions by a few years, other markets are likely to follow along. Despite that change, the EU must figure out if a delay makes the most sense for the continent, drivers, and automakers. This means working to protect the jobs that could potentially be lost while expanding the EV infrastructure across the continent.

Could other alternatives be approved?

Electricity isn’t the best alternative fuel used for vehicles, but it’s the most widely available and renewable energy source on the planet. That said, the automakers that are pushing back against the EU 2035 combustion engine ban would like PHEVs and ICE models that use biofuels or synthetic gasoline made from hydrogen to be allowed. This might make a lot of sense, especially if vehicles are made to expel only water vapor because they use hydrogen. If approved, alternative fuel vehicles and PHEVs could be a great way to continue to bridge the gap between ICE and EV models.

Has the EV market grown enough for the EU 2035 combustion engine ban?

The percentage of PHEVs and EVs purchased in Europe is greater than in the United States, as of last August, but it’s still not where you might expect it to be. Only between 15 and 16 percent of European shoppers choose an EV or PHEV over a traditional ICE vehicle, while Americans go for these alternative-fuel vehicles 11.46 percent of the time. This means the ban might be a bit premature, but it forces automakers to work toward a common goal, instead of giving them the softening seen in the United States.

What has America done?

With a new presidential administration in place, all focus on pushing EVs forward and enacting stricter CAFÉ regulations has softened. The market dictates much of this change, but it also means automakers have backtracked and are no longer as focused on improved emissions regulations as they were before. Whether or not this will be a wise decision in the United States is yet to be seen, but it might have an impact on the looming EU 2035 combustion engine ban.

BMW CEO Oliver Zipse called the ban “a big mistake” when interviewed by Politico. He also said,

“I think we’re doing ourselves a disservice by choosing an almost arbitrary point in the future where we say all industries have to align themselves with it by then.”

Maybe the EU 2035 combustion engine ban is arbitrary and a bit premature, but it sets a goal for automakers to work toward. It might also be premature to change course and lift the regulatory ban. This might be a conversation that is better revisited in 2030 instead of a decade before the ban goes into effect.