France criticizes German resistance to combustion engine off

France's Economics Minister Bruno Le Maire has criticized German resistance to the EU ban on new combustion cars from 2035. "You don't have to postpone this goal, it's not about a goal for 2024 or 2025, it's a goal for 2035, in twelve years," Le Maire told France Info on Monday.

“You cannot say there is a climate crisis, which is the case, which is what we are all realizing, in our cities and metropolitan areas that are still too polluted, and postponing the goal of switching to EVs.” From an environmental perspective be that a mistake.

"Obviously we are ready for a showdown on this issue because it is an environmental mistake and an economic mistake," Le Maire said. “We are five to ten years behind China when it comes to e-cars”, investments must be made in order to catch up. He could not tell the big car manufacturers in France, Stellantis and Renault, who had already made great efforts, that they had to switch to e-mobility and then explain that they were still sticking a little to combustion technology.

"It's contradictory from an economic point of view, it's dangerous in terms of industrial policy, it's not in our national interest, it's not in the interest of our national manufacturers and, above all, it's not in the interest of the planet," said the Economics Minister.

The EU vote on the end of new cars with combustion engines from 2035 was postponed last week due to additional demands from Germany. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) had requested a proposal from the EU Commission on how climate-neutral, synthetic fuels, so-called e-fuels, can be used in combustion engines after 2035.

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