The European Union’s plan to ban the sale of new internal combustion engine cars from 2035 should be reviewed in advance, Italian Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said at the TEHA business forum in Italy on Sept. 7, according to foreign media reports.
Gilberto Pichetto Fratin claimed that “this ban must be changed” and said that the EU’s decision was “absurd” and influenced by “ideological visions” and the EU’s internal decision-making methods. “Gilberto Pichetto Fratin added that the EU’s plan to ban the sale of new combustion engine cars from 2035 needs to be revised to reflect the realities of different markets in the context of the slowdown in the European automotive sector.
Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said a mid-term assessment of progress in meeting the new rules, originally scheduled for 2026, should be moved to early next year. Adolfo Urso said: “In the uncertain situation affecting the German automotive industry, we need to have a clear direction in order not to send the European automotive industry into meltdown. Europe needs a pragmatic vision and we need to recognize that the original concepts are no longer relevant for now.”
EU regulations will require new cars sold after 2035 to have zero carbon emissions, meaning that it will not be possible to sell new fossil fuel cars in the EU after 2035. The Italian government argues that the European Commission should allow its member states more freedom to choose preferred vehicle technologies to meet the mandated decarbonization targets and support a slower phase-out of internal combustion engine technology.
Italian officials say they are not opposed to the development and production of electric vehicles, but that they should be part of a broader portfolio of vehicle powertrains. According to a Sept. 7 statement, the ruling coalition, led by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, is poised to introduce legislation that would require the Italian government to reverse the ban. European automakers have been forced to invest more in electrification as the electric car market cools and Chinese rivals pour affordable electric cars into the European market.
Volkswagen Group Chief Executive Oliver Blume said changes are needed as the European car market is shrinking while competition is increasing, Oliver Blume said: “The cake is getting smaller, but there are more guests at the table. European car sales are declining. However, at the same time, new competitors from Asia are making strong inroads into the European market.”