Most automakers are urging the European Union to drop the combustion engine ban planned for 2035. Car companies have legitimate reasons to push back, citing an underdeveloped charging infrastructure and higher EV prices. Additionally, there’s a serious risk that the automotive manufacturing industry would lose hundreds of thousands of jobs if all companies were forced to build only electric cars.
For a while, the EU seemed unwilling to budge. As recently as this past spring, the cut-off date was still in place. However, mounting pressure to change the legislation is finally working, as combustion engines will continue after the middle of the next decade. It appears a letter sent by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen persuaded the governing body to back away from the ban.
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