Goodbye stop thermal cars 2035, Europe towards a softening of the rules

Goodbye stop for thermal cars from 2035. There is no official confirmation, but the news came from Manfred Weber, leader of the European People's Party, who revealed to Bild the result of his meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: goodbye to the ban on thermal cars from 2035 in Europe. A ban that will not come even in 2040, putting a definitive end to the internal combustion car in the Old Continent. The official announcement will come on 16 December, with a statement that could also affect the future European E-car.

How did this decision come about? According to Bild, the 'clear stance' taken by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the joint letter sent by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni together with the leaders of other governments played a role.

Although the news will most likely be greeted by one side of the pundits, the media and the public with an 'I told you so', because objectively the stop on thermal cars announced in 2019 seemed like a clear favour to the Chinese car industry (further ahead in the field of electrics, but above all in the realisation and production of batteries), on the other side it entailed billion-dollar investments for all the major European brands. Investments that have not been reflected in sales, which are expected to rise from 2035 precisely because of the stop on thermal cars.