The Vice-President of the European Commission, Stéphane Séjourné, assured that “Europe was ready to activate all efforts to make the European automobile industry succeed”. He spoke of his wish to grant “flexibilities” on the ban on thermal engines in 2035.
The European Commission could review the ban on the sale of new vehicles with thermal engines in 2035, its vice-president Stéphane Séjourné said on Wednesday, two weeks after highly anticipated announcements from Germany, whose automobile industry is lagging behind in the race for electromobility.
“Europe is ready to activate all levers to make the European automobile industry succeed,” he declared at an automobile sector summit in southern Germany, in Stuttgart, under pressure from Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Stéphane Séjourné said he wanted to “adapt the path” towards the energy transition “by granting flexibilities”. “Given the international context, a certain number of technologies could be authorized after 2035” in order to give “a clear perspective for consumers who are waiting for the change of vehicles in certain segments,” he added.
“We have underestimated what Chinese industry has achieved in recent years”
However, he refused to say more before December 10, when the Commission plans to unveil measures to relieve the sector. Since this summer, German car manufacturers, followed by the chancellor, have taken turns criticizing the deadline decided by the European Union, due to the weakness of the country’s automobile industry, which has announced massive social plans while its profits are falling.
It faces increasingly strong Chinese competition, particularly in the electrical segment. Manufacturers are pleading for the use of technologies such as range extenders and plug-in hybrid cars. “We have underestimated what Chinese industry has accomplished in recent years,” admitted Friedrich Merz, who promised an official agreement within his coalition on this debate by Thursday.
The conservative leader will then send a letter to the European Commission, in which he will communicate a “united” position, while the social democrats of the SPD are not yet openly expressed in favor of a postponement of the ban. The German automobile industry has lost more than 50,000 jobs in one year, out of a total of around 800,000, according to the EY firm.
This sector also suffers from high energy costs since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, falling global demand and more recently suffered from the 15% American customs duties imposed on European cars.
