Towards the end of thermal engines? Chapter 2

It marks the end of an industrial era. For more than a century, the old continent, the cradle of prestigious brands, dominated automotive innovation. At the heart of its know-how, thermal engines considered to be the most efficient in the world. Berlin had amazed his partners in early March by blocking the regulations when he had already been approved in mid-February by the MEPs gathered in plenary, after a green light from the Member States, including Germany.

Thermal engines: the European Union votes their ban by 2035

The European Union has officially voted to ban thermal engines by 2035. A decision that comes after years of debate and controversy and three weeks of intense exchanges with Germany.

By capital with AFP
Posted on 03/27/2023 at 2:52 p.m

Here is the outcome of a film that seemed endless. The European Union ended on Monday at three weeks of psychodrama linked to German blocking and validated the end of thermal engines in new cars from 2035, central measure of the climate plan of the 27. The text will constitute new cars to no longer emit any CO2, in fact prohibiting petrol, diesel, and hybrid vehicles, for the benefit of all electric.

“Large support” was found among the ambassadors of the 27 member countries in Brussels, announced the Swedish presidency of the EU Council. They accepted that this historic regulation was “put on the agenda” of a meeting on Tuesday of the Ministers of Energy for formal adoption, the final stage of the legislative process. This text is part of the European objective of carbon neutrality in 2050.

It marks the end of an industrial era. For more than a century, the old continent, the cradle of prestigious brands, dominated automotive innovation. At the heart of its know-how, thermal engines considered to be the most efficient in the world. Berlin had amazed his partners in early March by blocking the regulations when he had already been approved in mid-February by the MEPs gathered in plenary, after a green light from the Member States, including Germany.

To justify its flip-flop, extremely rare at this stage of the procedure, Germany had claimed from the Commission that it presents a proposal opening the way to vehicles operating with summary fuel fuels. This controversial technology and still in development, would consist in producing fuel from CO2 resulting from industrial activities. Defended by high -end German and Italian manufacturers, it would extend the use of thermal engines after 2035.

Contested synthetic fuels

The European Commission and Germany announced on Saturday that it has reached an agreement to unlock the text, which remains unchanged. Brussels has simply undertaken to open the path to summary fuels more clearly in a separate proposal which will have to be validated by the fall of 2024. Vehicles equipped with a combustion engine can be registered after 2035 if they exclusively use neutral fuels in terms of CO2 emissions, said German Minister of Transport Volker Wissing.

In the opinion of many experts, synthetic fuel technology is however little chance of winning on the market and would only concern luxury vehicle minority in the best of cases. It is challenged by environmental NGOs who deem it costly, energy -consuming and polluting. Berlin blockage was an initiative of FDP liberals, the third party of the coalition in power behind the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens.

This small party, credited with approximately 5% of voting intentions in national polls, has lost five consecutive regional elections. He hopes to assert himself by landing as an automotive defender, betting on the hostility of a large part of the population to the ban on thermal engines. To ensure the unity of his coalition, the Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz had preferred to align himself with this request and the Greens let it go.

Finally, “the text is unchanged. The 100% zero emission cars rule in 2035 is therefore maintained, “reacted on Saturday the president of the Environment Commission of the European Parliament Pascal Canfin (Renew, Liberals), ensuring that he would be vigilant on respect for” climate neutrality “Thermal engines that will be allowed.

Industry has already invested in massive vehicles. Even if they demonstrate their synthetic fuels, which do not exist today, “will not play an important role in the medium term in the private cars segment,” said Markus Duesmann, boss of Audi recently (Volkswagen group). Due to their cost, they will only make sense for a few luxury cars “like Porsche 911 or Ferrari,” said Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, expert in the Center Automotive Research in Germany.

Towards the end of thermal engines ? Chapter 2

Initially scheduled for 2035, the end of thermal engines in Europe was questioned at the last minute on March 10. To everyone’s surprise, Germany and three other member states had opposed the validation of the text of law. After a showdown of more than a month, an agreement was finally reached between states favorable to the text and its opponents. Explanation.

Thermal engines law: what happened ?

Everything seemed perfectly tied. On February 14, 2023, after several months of negotiations, the European Parliament and the EU member states had validated the law concerning the prohibition of thermal car sales from 2035. To be definitively adopted, the text only had to pass the stage of the Council of the European Union. For many, it was a simple formality.

On March 10, nothing took place as planned. While, until then, only Italy, Poland and Bulgaria were opposed to the vote, Germany created the surprise by taking the head of the opposition. His desire to return to the modalities concerning the end of thermal engines had then prevented the law from passing as a state.

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Is the prohibition to sell thermal cars postponed ?

After a month’s sling, an agreement was reached between the member states opposed to the initial text and the European Commission. Finally, the production of thermal cars will end well in 2035 in Europe. However, the EU accepted the condition of Germany concerning the use of synthetic fuels.

What are the conditions for the new agreement ?

In fact, Germany had blocked the bill not to return entirely to the prohibition itself, but to make accept some developments which it considered essential. Among these conditions were the possibility of using summary fuels to supply thermal engines (diesel and petrol), beyond 2035. The European Commission recently accepted this request, which should be integrated into the new law. However, nothing has yet been definitively established to date, because the conditions of use of synthetic fuels (also named E-Fuel) must still be negotiated.

Thermal cars: what does the new law say about their use ?

As expected before Germany’s surprise vote, the law will ban the sale of thermal cars in 2035. For the moment, however, the ban would only concern cars using traditional fuels. Cars operating with synthetic fuels (products from a synthesis of carbon and green hydrogen, and made with low carbon electricity to produce methanol), yet always very controversial, should still be produced and sold. However, due to their very high production cost, synthetic fuels will probably only be used for a small amount of luxury cars.

The end of thermal engines therefore seems inevitable. Moreover, most European manufacturers have already invested sharply in the production of electric cars. Audi, for example, said that the group “would complete the transition from combustion engines to electric in 2033”, two years before the deadline. Renault had recently indicated that no decision made in the coming months could now change the change, electrization being already well advanced. Find on our blog the current price of electric cars on the market.