An additional declaration must allow the homologation of engines operated exclusively with electronic fuels. However, it remains to be seen whether this is technically feasible.
After a long tug of war, the EU countries reached an agreement. From 2035, new cars powered by diesel or gasoline will no longer be sold in the European Union. EU energy ministers decided on Tuesday in Brussels. But this does not mean the complete end of combustion engines. There will be an exception for cars that can be fueled with so-called e-fuels.
The EU Commission and the German government had already agreed on an additional statement. In theory, it should still be possible To cars with combustion engines after 2035.
Electronic fuels can be produced using renewable electricity from water and carbon dioxide extracted from the air. Unlike petrol or diesel, they do not release additional gases harmful to the climate. Critics complain, among other things, that they are needed more urgently in shipping and aviation.
Germany under criticism
It is completely open to question whether combustion engines will be approved at any relevant number after 2035. The German government’s actions have many EU partners shaking their heads. Germany had already agreed to a compromise but withdrew its approval at the last minute.
It is disputed whether the project can be implemented as currently planned. A separate category should be created for cars that can only be operated on e-fuels. Technical solutions for this would have to come from the automotive industry. The way engines using e-fuel basically work is no different from regular gasoline or diesel engines.
Austria’s Minister for Climate Protection Leonore Gewessler (Greens) recently welcomed the deal and pointed out that it would not further block the path to CO₂-neutral mobility. But the fact that a loophole is needed to gain “approval of brakes and chokes that bemoan an old fossil ideology is a shame and will weaken Europe’s car industry”.
(APA/dpa)