Before the European elections, CSU boss Markus Söder repeatedly criticized the planned end to combustion engines in the EU. “The end of combustion engines for 2035 is wrong and must therefore be withdrawn,” said Söder to “Bild am Sonntag” (BamS).
“Our automobile manufacturers are world leaders in the construction of combustion engines. It is therefore downright absurd to shut down a functioning technology and leave it to other countries in the future.” Söder also criticized the abolition of the purchase bonus for electric cars. “Instead of banning and cutting, we have to allow and promote. That’s why the federal government must reintroduce the premium for electric cars.”
The Bavarian Prime Minister used to be one of the advocates of a ban on internal combustion engines for a long time. In 2007, as General Secretary of the CSU, he even spoke out in “Spiegel” in favor of a ban in Germany from 2020 (“Green engines create new jobs.”) At that time, he advocated that combustion engines be replaced by hydrogen and hybrid technology. Söder now knows that the majority of citizens are in agreement: According to a survey by the opinion research institute Insa on behalf of BamS, 61 percent are against the ban on combustion engines for newly registered vehicles from 2035, while 24 percent are in favor of it.
The EU states and the European Parliament sealed the end of new cars with diesel and gasoline engines a year ago. Specifically, from 2035, new cars will no longer be allowed to emit carbon dioxide, which is produced when these fuels are burned. Exceptions are being considered for so-called e-fuels, which do not pollute the atmosphere with additional CO₂.