THEEuropean Union she seems ready to put the indicator on and change course. After having embarked on the path of fully electric mobility, the EU is now is considering a detour, opening a crack in its green transition plan. After setting 2035 as the date for the absolute ban di sale of petrol and diesel vehicles, Brussels is now considering the possibility of extend the market to plug-in hybrid cars and electric vehicles with range extenders, that is, those with an auxiliary petrol engine to recharge the battery. A change of strategy that, while presenting itself as an “economy-saving” solution, raises doubts about the coherence of European environmental policy.
Stop thermal cars by 2035: Europe opens up to hybrids
Until a few months ago, the The future of the automotive industry in Europe seemed already written: only electric cars after 2035. The European plan, within the framework of the Green Deal, provided for a drastic reduction in emissions, focusing on electric cars as the main solution to achieve climate neutrality. But in recent weeks the situation has changed thanks to theTrump effect and above all the crisis of the entire European automotive industry, especially the German one. And so, Brussels has begun to reconsider its position, opening, albeit (for now) in an informal way, to the possibility of also include plug-in hybrid cars and electric vehicles with range extenders. A move that responds to increasingly strong pressure from the automotive industry, which sees in this opening an opportunity for survival in a context of uncertain transition.
According to the German weekly Der Spiegel, the European Commission is preparing the change of course. A fundamental role in this process was carried out by Eckhart von Klaeden, a leading figure at Mercedes-Benz (among the hardest hit together with Volkswagen, bmw e Stellantis), who supported the need for regulation “open to technology”, allowing the authorization of plug-in hybrid and range extender models, considered low-emission vehicles. Its position is particularly relevant, given that Wave Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, from 1 January 2025 is also President of Acea, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, an influential body in lobbying the European Union for change the regulations.
On the German portal Energy-Bau a has been published extract from a European document suggesting the introduction of greater flexibility, in response to requests from the automobile lobby. The text highlights the desire to "identify immediate solutions to protect the industry's ability to invest, exploring possible flexibilities to ensure the competitiveness of the sector without compromising the objectives set for 2025".
Pressure from the automotive industry
The turning point, which took shape thanks to theMercedes-Benz brokerage, comes at a time of great difficulty for the automotive industry. The pandemic and global economic challenges have put the competitiveness of the sector is put to the test, forcing car manufacturers to review their strategy. With strong competition from manufacturers of electric vehicles from China (and this is where the EU duties on Chinese cars) and the difficulty of implementing the complete transition to electric, many companies, including German giants such as Mercedes and Volkswagen, have begun to ask for more time to adapt to the new emissions reduction targets.
The fact that Mercedes-Benz, with its leadership in the sector, is pushing to also allow the sale of hybrids beyond 2035 is not a small detail. It is a clear sign that, even in the electric era, companies continue to make reliance on combustion engines, even if partially electrified. It is no longer a "must-have" step towards the future, but a question of economic competitiveness, which risks undermining the very foundations of the European environmental strategy.
The Commission's openness to "possible flexibilities"
The European Commission has therefore opened theexamine “possible flexibilities” to ensure that the European automotive sector remains competitive without compromising the emission reduction targets set for 2035. In particular, the EU has underlined the need for a “technology-neutral approach” to achieve climate neutrality, which could pave the way for the use of alternative fuels like e-fuels, synthetic fuels that would allow cars with combustion engines to reduce their emissions while continuing to use petrol or diesel.
This change of pace, however, raises questions about the coherence of the ecological transition plan, since the use of e-fuels could slow down the march towards electric. While on the one hand plug-in hybrid cars could represent a useful intermediate solution to avoid penalising consumers, on the other hand they could extend the transition times, keeping demand for fossil fuels alive and slowing investment in charging infrastructure.
The EU's opening to hybrid cars post-2035 is therefore a attempt to balance the need to reduce CO2 emissions with the protection of a sector that is crucial for the European economy, avoiding an economic decline due to a too rapid transition. Although electric remains at the center of the strategy, a compromise with the automotive industry may prove necessary to avoid further damaging the sector.
