Overview
- Commission officials say internal talks continue, with the College set to decide Monday and a proposal to be unveiled Tuesday in Strasbourg.
- EVP leader Manfred Weber says the draft would replace the 2035 100% fleet CO2 cut with a 90% target and drop a 100% goal for 2040, though the Commission has not confirmed specifics.
- The emerging plan under discussion would allow plug‑in hybrids and range‑extender vehicles after 2035, with any extra emissions offset through measures such as green steel or renewable fuels; the scope for conventional petrol and diesel remains unclear.
- Pressure from industry and several governments, including letters from Germany’s Friedrich Merz and allied leaders like Giorgia Meloni and Donald Tusk, pushed for flexibility, while France and Spain pressed to keep stricter rules or only targeted adjustments.
- A ZDF Politbarometer finds 63% in Germany support allowing new combustion cars after 2035, even as Greens, environmental groups and researchers warn a rollback would undermine climate goals and planning certainty.