Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) believes that combustion engine cars will eventually only interest nostalgic individuals.
It would be a strategic error if the automotive industry were to wager on this technology again, Schneider said to the Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers (Friday editions). Customers have understood “how painful dependence on the gas pump is-not only here, but worldwide.”
Schneider views the federal government’s efforts at the EU level to relax the combustion engine ban in 2035 with calm. In Germany alone, only a few consumers will buy a combustion engine car in nine years. The trend toward e-cars is here and will not go away, the Environment Minister stated. This is why he is more relaxed than before if regulations are eased now.
Whether the federal government will top up the fund reserved for e-car promotion next year, which is well stocked thanks to advanced allocations, because of high demand for 2028, Schneider left open. They are well equipped for 2027, the SPD politician said, so there will be no sudden break in funding. He cannot yet say how 2028 will look and how the coalition will handle it. However, the program has surpassed expectations.
