The energy transition is in full swing. To see this clearly, you only have to take a look at Germany’s roads. Compared to just a few years ago, many more electric cars are now driving through our traffic. And this is just the beginning. Bit by bit, modern vehicles with electric motors are to replace conventional combustion engines. The traffic light coalition agrees: combustion engines should be a thing of the past by 2035.
In 2035, the end for combustion engines
The traffic light coalition is getting serious. If the current government has its way, not a single vehicle with an internal combustion engine will be allowed to be registered in Germany as early as 2035. Only special vehicles would like to be exempt from this rule. The proposal for this intention comes from the EU Commission and has now been endorsed by the German Environment Ministry. The EU Commission’s proposal was announced at a meeting of EU environment ministers. This means that the ban on registration from 2035 is likely to be part of the so-called “Fit-for-55” plan. This envisages the entire EU being climate-neutral by 2050.
From 2035, only special vehicles with e-fuel
However, there can be no talk of a blanket end to internal combustion vehicles. Rather, from 2035 onwards, only very specific special vehicles are to be granted approval despite having an internal combustion engine. Commercial vehicles in particular are to be exempted from the general regulation. However, these would have to rely on e-fuels as fuel. From the automotive industry’s point of view, there is no alternative to these special fuels. Only if they can be used as a kind of bridging technology is it possible to achieve the climate protection targets. In view of relevant expert calculations, this is quite understandable. After all, experts assume that in 2030 there will still be around 30 million cars with combustion engines on German roads.
These, too, would have to be powered by a reasonably environmentally friendly fuel. Unfortunately, e-fuels are fuels that are very complex to produce. So far, only a few plants are capable of producing the challenging synthetic fuels. Germany’s role in the fight for climate protection seems clear. German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens), for example, made the following comments following the ministerial meeting in Brussels:
“Germany supports an end to the internal combustion engine for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in the EU from 2035. Internal combustion engines powered by e-fuels are only an option outside the CO2 fleet limits after 2035.”
But what do we include under the term special vehicles? These include, in particular, critical infrastructure vehicles such as ambulances or fire trucks.
Greenhouse gases must be reduced
The federal government sees another “climate issue” that absolutely needs to be worked on. Lemke, for example, also supports the Commission’s proposal to significantly reduce the greenhouse gases emitted by new vehicles. The plans of the EU Environment Council show that the aim is to emit only about half as much greenhouse gas by 2030 as last year. This makes it clear that the production of e-fuels must not be left out of the equation. Otherwise, from 2030 onwards, we will be faced with millions of vehicles that will no longer be allowed on German roads due to a ban on gasoline or diesel.