Automotive Engineering - May 2023 - 10

TECHNOLOGY REPORT
EMISSIONS
Europe steps back from 2035 ICE ban
In a surprising move that paves the way
for the European Union's adoption of a
mandate to eliminate vehicle CO2 emissions,
on March 25 the EU reached an
agreement with Germany to step back
from a complete ban of combustionengine
vehicles starting in 2035. The EU
agreed to permit sales and registration
of IC-engine models after the 2035
deadline - provided those vehicles operate
only on carbon-neutral fuels, often
generically referred to as 'e-fuels.'
With a significant portion of its economy
related to the historically ICE-based
automotive industry, Germany had resisted
the EU's total ban, although its
Parliament's Green Party supported the
forced sunsetting of ICE passenger vehicles.
Reuters reported German
Transport Minister Volker Wissing as
tweeting, " We secure opportunities for
Europe by preserving important options
for climate-neutral and affordable mobility. "
In another Twitter post, Wissing reportedly
added, " Vehicles with internal
combustion engines can still be newly
registered after 2035 if they fill up exclusively
with CO2-neutral fuels. "
The e-fuels compromise also has
implications for the pending Euro 7
vehicle-emissions regulations expected
to come into effect by 2025 and that
affect both passenger and commercial
vehicles. Reuters reported Frans
Timmermans, European Commission
VP in charge of the European 'Green
Deal,' as saying that after the deal with
The European Commission's
Frans Timmermans said an
agreement with Germany will
allow the EU's CO2-eliminating
regulations to proceed.
Comparatively low-volume
European OEMs such as
Porsche and Ferrari see e-fuels as a possible path to retaining the
combustion-engine attributes on which their brands are built.
Germany was reached, " we will work
now on getting the CO2 standards for
cars regulation adopted as soon as possible. "
Italy and other EU entities also
had supported an approach that provided
for alternatives to EVs.
Critics of the compromise said the
arrangement undermines environmental
efforts in general and has potential
to harm EU initiatives in other areas.
" This rotten compromise undermines
climate protection in transport, and it
harms Europe, " the German news agency
dpa reported Greenpeace mobility
expert Benjamin Stephan as saying in
Berlin on March 25.
Zero-emissions standard stands
Wire reports said that the deal between
the EU and Germany means that the
October 2022 agreement of EU member
states and the European Parliament
that ostensibly mandated EVs will be
adopted. German approval of the regulation
means that other EU members
opposing the ICE ban would not be able
to coalesce a sufficient number of votes
to veto the legislation. The EU next
must create language on the provision
for e-fuels in ICE vehicles to satisfy the
zero-emissions stipulation.
At present, only a handful of pilotmanufacturing
efforts are producing
e-fuels, but proponents say that there
will be larger-scale production long before
the EU's 2035 requirement for the
fuel that will allow ICE vehicles to continue
for sale in Europe. It remains to be
seen if other entities that have banned
or are seeking to ban ICE vehicles -
such as several European cities and the
state of California - will consider exemptions
for e-fueled ICE vehicles.
Germany's automaker association,
the VDA, stressed that it supported options
for how CO2 neutrality is achieved
by passenger vehicles. But the VDA
conceded that production of carbonneutral
fuels needs to advance. " Now
we have to enable e-fuel output at scale
and at competitive prices, " Reuters
quoted the VDA as saying, " which can
only happen with large range of strategic
decisions. Brussels and Berlin need
a maximum of stable energy partnerships
in the many countries that have
excellent conditions to produce e-fuels. "
Bill Visnic
10 May 2023
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
FROM TOP: PORSCHE; EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Automotive Engineering - May 2023

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