Frankfurt, 8. November 2022 – The combustion engine technology is part of the solution for global climate protection and should not be banned by the European Union. Internal combustion engines powered by green, CO2-neutral fuels can make a noticeable contribution to ending the use of fossil fuels. The VDMA has issued its support for the concerns currently formulated by EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton regarding a ban on internal combustion engines from 2035 onwards. The VDMA is a leading voice for the mechanical engineering industry in Germany and Europe.

Following the negotiations between the EU Parliament, the Council and the Commission on CO2 fleet regulation, Breton had pointed out that a commitment exclusively to electric cars would jeopardize the complex, well-established value chains. This would threaten many jobs outside the automotive industry as well. The shift to all-electric mobility will also entail a huge consumption of raw materials, especially critical, scarce raw materials, Breton criticized. In addition, 20 to 25 percent more electricity would be needed, the production of which with gas or coal would make no sense from a climate point of view. Overall, he said, the switch has so many consequences for industry in Europe that the EU cannot afford to fail. It may have to rethink its exit scenario if it is found that the targets are missed, he concluded.

The de facto ban on the internal combustion engine is the wrong way to go. To achieve effective climate protection quickly, all climate-friendly drive options must be used.

Hartmut Rauen, Deputy Executive Director VDMA

“Commissioner Breton is absolutely right to question the decision and to point out the complex and not entirely foreseeable consequences. Moreover, the de facto ban on the internal combustion engine is the wrong way to go. To achieve effective climate protection quickly, all climate-friendly drive options must be used. This also applies to the combustion engine powered by CO2-neutral, green eFuels,” emphasizes Hartmut Rauen, Deputy Executive Director of the VDMA, and calls for openness to technology. All options must be used to

achieve the ambitious climate targets for 2030 and 2050 in road transport. In addition, millions of vehicles of all kinds must be kept in view and their climate-friendly operation with eFuels must be seen as an opportunity for global climate protection.

According to the VDMA, the “review” of the measures promised by the EU for 2026 comes too late: “The automotive industry in Europe and its suppliers need clarity as soon as possible, not just in a few years. The necessary investment decisions must be made now,” explains Peter Müller-Baum, Managing Director of VDMA Engines and Systems.