A Volvo Cars executive said on Friday he hopes the European Commission will resist pressure to scrap an effective ban on combustion engine car sales, saying the Swedish carmaker is “ready to go” with electric alternatives.
Germany, Italy and their manufacturers have been lobbying Brussels to at least water down plans for a ban by 2035, arguing they need support in the face of intense competition from China.
A leading German EU lawmaker said on Friday the European Commission will move to scrap the ban next week and suggested there would be an alternative proposal for a 90% reduction in CO² emissions for carmakers’ fleet targets
Ditching the ban would be “a pity,” Volvo Cars CCO Erik Severinson told Reuters.
Volvo Cars and fellow Swedish carmaker Polestar have been among the fiercest opponents of changing plans, alongside other electric car makers that said they feel let down after investing heavily in the transition.
Severinson said he understood there would be some sort of compromise on the proposals, but warned shifting course would undermine confidence in future regulation.
“It kind of deteriorates the trust for the whole system. We have invested a lot and we’re ready to go,” he said. “All of a sudden the playing field changes because someone else wasn’t. I don’t expect us to have been fully heard in the compromise that comes, and that is very negative for us.”
The planned ban was a key part of the EU’s strategy to drive the continent’s decarbonisation and boost the development of electric vehicles.
Campaigners calling for the EU to scrap it said the bloc should allow other technologies including plug-in hybrids, biofuels and e-fuels.
Reuters
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.