Thought the internal combustion engine was going to be a goner in Europe by 2035? Its saviour may yet come after all.
The noise around e-fuels has become a lot louder in the past few weeks. Most prominent has been the actions of Germany and Italy in the European Parliament, threatening to derail the 2035 legislation unless an exemption for ICEs running on e-fuels is added. Other EU nations are said to be lukewarm to the 2035 ban too, and Germany’s backing for it will be essential.
Whatever the political outcome, the switch to electrification surely remains inevitable. Too many car makers have invested too much money for a complete about turn to be made, and some have already begun to wind down or stop completely investment in ICE technology, with the costly and equally controversial Euro 7 emissions regulations on the horizon.