Overview

• CSU leader Markus Söder renewed his demand to overturn the EU plan to allow only zero‑CO₂ new car registrations from 2035, warning it threatens hundreds of thousands of jobs.
• Ola Källenius of Mercedes‑Benz urged abandoning a strict ban in favor of flexibility that keeps hybrids and advanced combustion engines in the mix to protect acceptance and employment.
• Källenius cautioned that Europe lacks a full battery value chain and said China is effectively a monopolist in refining, arguing for a strategic partnership with Beijing.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he will invite automakers and suppliers to an Automobilgipfel on the sector’s future, as companies grapple with a sales slowdown and rising Asian competition.
• VW chief Oliver Blume welcomed the planned summit, saying the company remains flexible on powertrains while maintaining that e‑mobility represents the future.