Overview

• At the Munich IAA, Bavaria’s Markus Söder called the 2035 phaseout of new combustion cars wrong and said engines running on e‑fuels still have a future.
• In a FAZ interview he said Germany without auto, engineering and chemicals is a “dame ohne Unterleib,” prompting public criticism from Green politician Franziska Brantner and Left Party deputy Nicole Gohlke.
• Söder urged a national auto strategy, argued EU CO₂ targets must be adjusted to reality, and pressed to abolish CO₂ fleet fines while introducing an industrial electricity price.
• Commentary contends his campaign undermines regulatory certainty that manufacturers need as VW, Mercedes and BMW advance new electric models.
• Critics question the feasibility of e‑fuels given their heavy power demand and point to Bavaria’s lagging wind expansion under Söder’s leadership.