While the German government is trying to improve the future prospects of internal combustion engines, the head of the car manufacturing company Renault has announced that it is already too late, writes Politico.
Speaking at an event hosted by Politico, Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault and chairman of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), said carmakers have already invested billions of euros to prepare for greener cars. De Meo said: «I don’t think there’s anybody … that’s developing a completely new engine in Europe. Nobody is, you know, from scratch developing a new combustion engine in Europe. …
All the money is going to electric or hydrogen technology.»
All three main EU institutions have supported the zero emissions plan, which envisages stopping the sale of internal combustion engine cars after 2035. However, recent objections from Germany, joined by Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Poland, have put the final decision on hold.
Italy has joined the demands of the German government, asking the EC to develop amendments to the law that would enable the production and sale of cars with internal combustion engines that run on carbon-neutral fuels, including various types of biofuels.
Meanwhile, France and other countries have indicated that they want to stick to the plan, and the EC also supports this view.
It has informed that it will not reopen the draft law, which everyone agreed to last summer, for re-examination.
Audi, Ford, and Volvo are among the companies that have announced a specific time when production will switch to electric cars only. After 2030, Renault, too, will no longer offer new cars with internal combustion engines.
De Meo suggested that instead of inventing a new motor, Europe should be able to catch China, which is said to be a decade ahead when it comes to electric car batteries. He emphasized that he favors technological neutrality, which means that EU legislation should not dictate exactly how carmakers will achieve the zero-emissions target. However, the head of Renault believes that the electric car will become the dominant solution in the car market.
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