A new study from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) regarding the climate balance of EU vehicles has reignited the political debate surrounding the planned phased ban on internal combustion engines (ICE) across the European Union. Markus Söder, the Prime Minister of Bavaria and leader of the CSU party, is demanding that Brussels halt the proposed ban, citing the research presented in “Bild.”
Söder told the newspaper, “We urgently need a genuine end to the ICE ban in the EU. Science now supports this position.” The TUM is set to present a study titled “Defossilisation instead of Decarbonisation.” Initially, the report quotes the finding that, compared to ICE vehicles, electric cars reduce CO2 emissions by an average of only 41 percent.
This reduced figure is attributed to the necessity of factoring in emissions generated throughout the entire lifecycle of electric vehicles-from raw material procurement and production to operation and recycling. Professor Thomas Hofmann, the President of TUM, described the current European climate strategy as a “misguided approach.”
Söder views the study as a mandate for Brussels: “TUM is the best university in Europe and has reached a clear conclusion. The EU must accept this counsel and decide based on facts rather than ideology.” He argued that rigid prohibitions are ineffective, stating, “Europe needs cars. Naturally, a transformation is necessary-but one that favours technology openness instead of bans. High-tech ICE vehicles also have a future alongside electric mobility. This benefits both the economy and ecology, instead of pitting them against each other.”
Referencing intense global competition, Söder added, “We cannot continually weaken our most important industry. The car must compete successfully in an extremely tough international market. This reality finally needs to reach the EU. The Commission and Parliament must send a clear signal: yes to the car.” In his view, a “genuine” shift away from ICE includes pausing fleet emission limits, fines for passenger cars, trucks, and commercial vehicles, and rigid quotas for electric cars.
Meanwhile, Hildegard Müller, President of the VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry), also appealed to Brussels in “Bild” to be open to other technologies on the path to climate neutrality. Müller told the newspaper, “Every technology can contribute to climate-friendly transport. Our industry is working on diverse solutions for various challenges, and we are a global leader in the field of circular economy.” She stressed that “it is essential that Brussels acknowledges that this mix of solutions is the effective way forward for climate-neutral mobility, and not solely focusing on one single option.”
Jens Gieseke, the traffic policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU group in the European Parliament, sees the study as validation of his party’s stance. He told “Bild” that designating electric cars as zero-emission vehicles was an “ideological mistake” by Vice-President of the Commission, Frans Timmermans, and his team. He stated, “We have always advocated for lifecycle calculations and opposed the tailpipe method. Now, there is a ‘unique opportunity to correct the error’.”
