The latest chapter in the continuing saga of the 2035 ban on combustion engines has taken yet another twist: Apparently, a senior European Union lawmaker now said those plans to ban the sale of gas and diesel cars are “off the table.”
Speaking to German newspaper Bild, Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party, said a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions will be mandatory for carmaker fleet targets, not 100%.
“There will also be no 100% target from 2040 onwards,” he told Bild. “This means that the technology ban on combustion engines is off the table. All engines currently manufactured in Germany can therefore continue to be produced and sold.”
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Weber said this would secure “tens of thousands of industrial jobs.”
The 2035 ban was originally signed off back in 2023, and required carmakers to cut emissions by 100% (by 2035) compared to 2021 emissions levels. Whether the EU now officially drops the ban—and what it means for the United Kingdom—remains to be seen.
Indeed, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders noted that while the UK saw sales of battery electric vehicles grow to 26.4% of the market in November, “with volumes rising just 3.6%, this represented the weakest month for BEV growth in almost two years.”
Hybrid sales rose by 1.3% in November, though plug-in hybrids recorded the fastest growth, rising 14.8% and accounting for 11.9% of registrations.
Those figures come as the UK new car market declined last month, with new registrations falling by 1.6%. It’s the sixth fall this year.
More as we get it.
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
