Europe must scrap its plan to ban new fossil fuel-emitting cars from 2035 to reduce dependence on China’s battery supply chain and capitalize on its technological advantages, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse said on Tuesday.
Zipse, who has long advocated for regulators to allow a range of technologies, including alternative fuels such as e-fuels or biofuels and hydrogen fuel cell cars, said the mood in Europe was “leaning towards pessimism” and that the region needed a new regulatory framework to would remain competitive, reports Reuters.
“Revising the 100 percent electric vehicle (BEV) target for 2035, as part of a comprehensive CO2 reduction package, would allow European carmakers to be less dependent on China for batteries. To maintain a successful course, a strictly technology-neutral policy path is crucial,” Zipse said at the Paris Motor Show.
In March 2023, EU countries approved historic legislation that would require all new cars to have zero CO2 emissions from 2035, effectively banning diesel and petrol vehicles, while reducing CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030 in compared to 2021 levels.
Carmakers including BMW, VW and Renault, as well as the Italian government, have called for the targets to be relaxed or delayed, fearing heavy fines for lower-than-expected sales of electric vehicles. However, Germany rejected an early review of the targets, citing the need for clarity for industry and the urgency of the fight against climate change.
Also in Paris, the president of the French auto association PFA did not directly call for the 2035 ban to be lifted, but said there was a need to quickly return to the negotiating table to discuss a review of the targets, currently set for 2026.
Source: Biznis.rs
Photo: Archive Autoblog.rs / BMW
Source: autoblog.rs
