The EU’s latest revision of its internal‑combustion‑engine ban is creating uncertainty and could lead to revenue losses for the electric‑car market, a new study finds.
The study, released by the Brussels think‑tank T&E and reported in the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” newspapers, shows that a loosening of the 2035 CO₂‑reduction target would push the projected share of electric vehicles down by 15 percentage points, from 100 % to 85 %. With this shift, passenger‑car emissions would be 10 % higher than under the original target.
Under the current policy, classic gasoline cars remain on sale, along with hydrogen‑powered vehicles, various hybrids and battery‑electric vehicles equipped with a range‑extender-a gasoline engine that charges the battery while driving.
Sebastian Bock, managing director of T&E Germany, argues that the policy feels like “betting on several horses when only one horse remains in the race”. He warns that the world will indeed electrify, but “under the guise of technological openness, investments will be diverted toward technologies that are outdated and harmful to our economy and the climate”. According to Bock, this could cause Germany to lose its competitive edge and eventually diminish jobs in its critical automotive industry.
The study also estimates that the EU’s effort to reach the 2050 target will result in an additional 720 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions-a 10 % increase. This figure includes allowances for low‑carbon steel.
