Herbert Diess
The VW CEO assumes that the stricter CO2 limits will lead to the end of the combustion engine.
(Photo: Reuters)
Berlin The VW group demands a clear commitment from the automotive industry to the stricter climate targets in the European Union. “It is better for us to help shape the change now than to chase after a development,” said CEO Herbert Diess of the specialist service “Tagesspiegel Background Verkehr & Smart Mobility” (Monday). “We stand by the EU fleet targets and the Green Deal”.
The transport sector is crucial for reducing CO2. “We cannot maintain the status quo,” warned the VW CEO. Many industry associations defended the status because they represented interests. “As those responsible, however, we have to check what will happen in the environment in the next 20 or 30 years.”
According to a report by “Spiegel”, manufacturers and suppliers want to agree on a position at a board meeting of the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) this week. It is becoming apparent that the corporations will accept the new requirements in principle, writes the newspaper. VDA and other manufacturers did not want to comment on the report.
Diess considers a fixed phase-out date for the internal combustion engine to be unnecessary: ”The stricter CO2 limits will inevitably lead to an end to the internal combustion engine.” Petrol and diesel would become more expensive, electric cars cheaper. “By 2026 at the latest, the electric car will be the better concept – ecologically and economically,” said Diess.
Diess again called for the diesel privilege to be abolished for vehicle tax and a higher CO2 price of around 100 euros. He admitted that the VW group will probably not meet the CO2 limits for 2020. “It’s going to be very close,” he said. “So far, we have not achieved our sales targets for electric vehicles to the extent that we had planned.”
More: Michael Pahle: The CO2 price measures the credibility of the green deal.