Overview

• Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he will seek to overturn the EU’s 2035 end to sales of new combustion‑engine cars, calling it a “false ban.”
• SPD leaders, including Environment Minister Carsten Schneider and Labor Minister Bärbel Bas, affirmed support for the 2035 transition to give manufacturers planning certainty.
• The Chancellery will host an auto summit on Thursday with ministers, state leaders, automakers and unions to address the sector’s downturn and the policy rift.
• Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil proposed extending the vehicle‑tax exemption for battery‑electric cars so qualifying purchases remain exempt until 2035.
• European lawmakers voted to extend zero‑emission trucks’ motorway‑toll exemption to mid‑2031, with the measure awaiting approval by EU member states.