The demand
The de facto ban on new cars with combustion engines from 2035 is a thorn in the side of both the CDU/CSU and the FDP. Yet the FDP in the German government had voted in favor of the reformed EU fleet limits for 2023 after the Commission had agreed to add a backdoor for e-fuels. Now calls for the withdrawal of the combustion engine ban are growing louder to avoid placing an additional burden on the already struggling German car manufacturers. This is because the ramp-up of electromobility and the charging infrastructure is not progressing as quickly as hoped, and Asian and US manufacturers have long since overtaken the Europeans in the EV market. The end of new vehicles with combustion engines threatens to put additional pressure on sales figures in Europe.