Overview

• The European Commission is conducting a formal impact assessment of a draft rule that would bar rental and corporate fleets from buying new petrol or diesel cars starting in 2030.
• About 60 percent of all new vehicle registrations would be covered under the proposal, signaling an accelerated push toward the wider 2035 combustion-engine phase-out for private buyers.
• Industry representatives, including the Verband der Automobilindustrie and car rental firms such as Sixt, warn that patchy charging networks and higher costs could disrupt leasing markets and tourism.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Germany’s transport ministry have publicly opposed the measure, calling instead for technology-neutral policies and preserving consumer choice.
• Any regulation would require approval by both the EU Council and European Parliament after the Commission finalizes its assessment and formally tables a legislative proposal.