EU ICE Ban Goes Up In Flames – E-Fuel Category Provision Emerges From The Ashes
According to a draft proposal recently seen by the media, the European Commission has reportedly added an amendment to its 2035 combustion vehicle ban that allows for the sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles after the expiry, as long as they run entirely on climate-neutral e-fuels. This move is the latest chapter in a saga to ban ICE vehicles in the EU that has recently been stifled by countries insisting on the additional e-fuel exceptions, led by automotive juggernaut, Germany.
March has been a busy and newsworthy month for the EU Commission and its ongoing quest to enact a complete ban on combustion vehicles by 2035. Throughout 2022, European Parliament, the commission, and EU members had been working through months of negotiations before finally agreeing to implement a law that would ban the sale of new combustion vehicles throughout the EU by 2035.
By last October, the ban had actually been approved by the EU’s 27 member states, including Germany. However, as the EU prepared for its final vote earlier this month, a mere formality in the legal process, Germany and its transport minister, Volker Wissing, suddenly had a change of heart, rescinding the country’s vote of confidence until further changes pertaining to e-fuels were established.