EU set to scrap 2035 combustion-engine ban in car industry boost

FE Team | Published: December 17, 2025 00:05:13

BRUSSELS, Belgium, Dec 16 (AFP): The EU looks set to scrap a landmark 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars on Tuesday, as part of a package of reforms aimed at supporting Europe's embattled auto industry.
Carmakers and their backers have lobbied hard for Brussels to relax the ban over the past year-in the face of fierce competition from China and a slower-than-expected shift to electric vehicles (EVs).
The European Commission is expected to propose replacing it with a less ambitious 90-percent emission-reduction target, in a move critics say risks undermining the EU's green agenda and deterring investments in electrification.
"This is a critical milestone for the future of the sector. There is a lot at stake," Sigrid de Vries, the head of European auto lobby ACEA told a press conference in Brussels on Monday, referring to the expected reforms.
Set in 2023, the ban was a cornerstone of the EU's environmental Green Deal, which has come under increased pressure from businesses and right-wing politicians as the EU seeks to bolster its industry.
"There is a clear demand for more flexibility on the CO2 targets," commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho told a press conference Friday, saying Brussels was "aiming for balance".
Carmakers argue the 2035 goal to have only electric vehicles sold in Europe, and an intermediate 2030 target, are no longer realistic.
High upfront costs and the lack of adequate charging infrastructures in parts of the 27-nation bloc mean consumers have been slow to warm to EVs, producers say.
Just over 16 percent of new vehicles sold in the first nine months of 2025 run on batteries, according to ACEA.
Automakers would like to see continued sales authorised for hybrids with rechargeable batteries or those equipped with range extenders (small combustion engines which recharge the battery instead of powering the wheels).
Germany supports this option as do eastern European nations where German carmakers have set up factories.
Others, like Italy, want to see the use of alternative fuels such as those derived from agricultural crops and waste products allowed.
"EVs will be the dominant choice, but to make the transition work for society and industry, other options must be available too," de Vries said in a social media post.