Germany, France, and Italy have expressed concerns about the proposed ban.
A provision for synthetic fuels and alternatives to EVs is the key disagreement.
The current plan calls for a 55% reduction in CO2 by 2030 and a complete ban on new cars with combustion engines by 2035.
The European Union was about to finally sign its 2035 ban on new internal combustion vehicles today, but the vote has been delayed due to objections from some countries, mainly Germany.
Indeed, the vote was reported over fears that Germany would abstain, which it would have done automatically if its coalition government wasn’t in agreement.
This internal disagreement comes from the nature of the ban, which doesn’t leave room for alternative power sources to electric vehicles, such as carbon-neutral synthetic fuels.
This is the same reason why France and Italy, the other two major car-producing countries in the European Union, are also voicing concerns over the ban.
By completely banning internal combustion engines, this legislation would prevent automakers from developing new technologies and force them to put all of their eggs in the same basket.
Since companies such as Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini have built their business on emotional cars that offer a different experience from regular vehicles, being forced to adopt the same powertrain technology as every other car on the road is causing them to worry.
In addition, Porsche, Aramco, and Formula 1 are currently working on synthetic fuels that could allow combustion engines to run without generating carbon emissions.
These fuels might be better suited to specialty vehicles such as race cars or heavy trucks, but they should still be allowed to come to fruition.
Talks between the German Chancellor and the President of the E.U. Commission are said to be productive, which could hint at a resolution.
If all of the member states reach an agreement, the vote could then take place and the legislation could be officialized.
At the moment, this proposed ban on the sales of new vehicles powered by combustion engines aims to reduce the emissions of CO2 generated by new passenger cars by 55% in 2030 over 2021 levels before reaching zero five years later.
The same requirement also applies to Vans, the most popular type of commercial vehicle in Europe, except that they will have to be half as polluting in 2030 as in 2021.
Source: Motor Authority
