Discussions, dissent, and dissection of the European Union’s proposal to cease combustion vehicle sales from 2035 are ongoing at the end of March, 2023. It’s no wonder, either, since there are only 12 years (give or take a few months) before that deadline. No matter what ultimately happens, it’s clear that some action needs to be agreed upon so that member nations can move forward.
On March 13, 2023, ministers from the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia all met to discuss plans that would allow some combustion vehicles to remain. Immediately prior to this meeting, Germany had surprised many when it rejected the EU’s proposed combustion engine ban on March 7, because the proposal as written did not allow for the possibility of synthetic fuels (also called e-fuels).
