Zac Quinn 
Governments across the globe have been working to implement bans on the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035. Still, as time progresses, developments of alternative solutions to gasoline have been in the works, which could save ICEs from extinction; a new development in Europe could alter the currently set course by some degree, however. Europeans will be electing a new European Parliament in June. Naturally, the parties involved are already working on their programs, and the largest party involved may be preparing to delay the internal combustion engine ban on the continent.
EU ICE Ban Delay: Details
Publication Euractiv obtained a copy of the European People’s Party group’s (EPP) manifesto. These typically aim to give voters a glimpse of the values they endorse when supporting candidates. One revelation from the copy was that the party has expressed a commitment to phasing out the current approach to ban internal combustion engines from the continent, stating that it would aim to “revise it as soon as possible.”
The EPP is led by German lawmaker Jens Gieseke, who represented the party in discussing CO2 standards for vehicles. Gieseke criticized the “prohibition ideology” and warned against the decision to phase out internal combustion engine vehicles with the prediction that this could cause a “Havana effect,” where Europeans would continue to drive old combustion-powered cars for decades, doing everything in their power to keep their vehicles running, similar to the situation in the Cuban capital.
Last March, Germany and the EU decided to alter the proposed ban starting in 2035, allowing automakers to sell ICE vehicles as long as they ran on e-fuel. E-fuel is produced through carbon capture and hydrogen production from renewable energy. This fuel source is considered carbon-neutral during combustion, as the captured CO2 returns to the atmosphere. This shows that an all-electric future is not yet set in stone. 2035 is still a good way away, and a lot can happen in that time.
