EU market commissioner encourages ICE vehicle exports as if global climate change doesn’t affect Europe
EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton is publicly urging automakers to consider continuing internal combustion engine vehicle production over fears of lost jobs and a future in which middle class consumers cannot afford EVs. Breton may want the EU to remain a “export force” in combustion vehicles, but will anyone still be interested in them as more and more countries set expiries in order to combat the vicious acceleration of global climate change?
While Thierry Breton does not speak for the entire EU commission, his recent comments are a bit discouraging to hear from an environmentalist sense, and his reasoning for such fears lacks substance. Just over a week ago, the EU Commission of which Breton is a key member of, signed an official ban on new combustion vehicle sales by 2035, solidifying a market shift that has long been debated and waffled over.
It is currently a task to find single location on Earth where you can’t notice some evidence of climate change – and carbon emissions from combustion vehicles have been identified as a massive contributor around the world.
Automakers around the world (in EU markets and beyond) have already begun following the lead of their respective governments and are vowing to go all-electric over the next 10-15 years with hopes of significantly reducing carbon emissions. So, why are we suddenly talking about more combustion all of a sudden?
As Internal Market Commissioner for the EU, Thierry Breton is merely doing his job and is worried about the future economy if it’s dominated by EV production, but what’s the sense in worrying about the economy if there isn’t a inhabitable planet for it to operate on?
EU market commissioner wants to push back 2035 deadline
In a recent interview with French outlet Les Echoes, the EU market commissioner shared an interesting view on the future of the automotive industry and fears things are moving too quickly. Per the interview:
I respect the fact that some are deciding to accelerate toward a 100 percent electric offer, but I also encourage manufacturers to continue to produce internal combustion cars, generate quality jobs and remain an export force.
Obviously Breton didn’t get to his position in the EU by accident, so we are not here to necessarily discredit his arguments about the affect mass-EV adoption will certainly have on the global economy. That being said, his fears feel a bit like they’ve been dipped in “FUD.” First, one could argue that EV production can create plenty of quality (albeit different) jobs as well.
These are jobs that can be assisted by AI and robotics that are less physically strenuous on employees. Breton went on to say that the transition to EVs could cost an industry that currently employs roughly 13 million people about 600,000 jobs. For perspective here, that is less than 5%. Any number of jobs lost should be taken seriously of course, but we’re not talking about a paradigm shift in the automotive work force by going electric. We will still need millions and millions of people to build them.
Breton’s argument about remaining an “export force” for ICE vehicles is a bit of a head scratcher as well. Aside from the EU – Breton’s own organization – major markets like North America and Asia have set similar end dates to combustion sales. So who’s buying these exports after 2035?
Breton’s solution is to push back the 2035 ban date to allow longer combustion production for those EU consumers who “will not be able to buy cars that cost 30,000 euros.” We’d imagine EVs will cost quite a bit less thirteen years from now, but Breton doesn’t necessarily see it that way.
He stated he is already planning a 2026 review thanks to a clause in the recently signed EU deal that he insisted on adding. From there, he can work on furthering his strategy to push the 2035 deadline back. Breton also shared plans to form a group that will include automakers that will meet regularly over the next four years to strategize.
Wonder if Toyota’s already signed up? Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has been another publicly vocal figure sharing uncertainty about the 2035 deadline and what it could do to the EU automotive market. Perhaps that company joins Breton’s group, despite recently vowing to go all-electric after stating, “the people have decided.”
We think the people have definitely decided that a 2035 ban on new combustion is the right thing to do, if not sooner. Let’s hope these skeptics begin to believe as well.
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On today’s incredibly frustrating episode of Quick Charge, Tesla is making it easier than ever to make fun of them by rolling out a new, “affordable” Model Y that costs $2,000 more than the “expensive” one did last week, thanks to the cancellation of the $7,500 tax credit that Elon Musk (the guy who is so good at business that he’s allegedly worth $1 trillion) spent $200 million campaigning for.
We’ve also got the new, single-motor Volvo EX30 at a price that undercuts the cheap Tesla, but includes a full length glass roof that isn’t inexplicably covered in upholstery to punish poor people. All this and more – enjoy!
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Chevy’s electric SUV is now the best-selling EV in the US outside of Tesla. The 2026 Chevy Equinox EV is slightly more expensive than the outgoing model, but GM has added new style packages for you to choose from.
GM raises 2026 Chevy Equinox EV price, adds options
The Chevy Equinox EV doesn’t need much help. Starting at just $34,995, the 2025 Chevy Equinox quickly became one of the best-selling electric vehicles in the US.
Entering its third year, the Equinox EV remains GM’s most affordable EV, with starting prices slightly higher at $36,495. That includes the $1,395 destination fee.
Since it’s a carryover model, there aren’t too many changes, but buyers will have several new style packages to choose from.
The 2026 Chevy Equinox LT gains a new Midnight Package, which adds black emblems, bowtie, badging, wheel caps, and 19″ black painted aluminum wheels, for $595.
There’s also a new Tech Bronze Package available on the LT and RS trims. The new option includes a Tech Bronze decal, a black nameplate, a black bowtie emblem, and 21″ Tech Bronze wheels. It costs an extra $3,595.
The 2026 Chevy Equinox EV is now listed on GM’s website. It’s still available in LT1, LT2, and RS trims with Front Wheel Drive (FWD) and All Wheel Drive (AWD) powertrain options.
The base 2026 LT FWD trim starts at $36,495 with up to 319 miles of range, including a $1,395 destination fee. Upgrading to AWD costs an extra $5,300, with a slightly shorter range of 307 miles.
| Chevy Equinox EV trim | 2025 Starting Price | 2026 Starting Price | EPA-estimated Range |
| LT 1 FWD | $34,995 | $36,495 | 319 miles |
| LT 1 AWD | $38,295 | $39,795 | 307 miles |
| LT 2 FWD | $43,295 | $43,295 | 319 miles |
| LT 2 AWD | $46,595 | $46,595 | 307 miles |
| RS FWD | $44,795 | $45,595 | 319 miles |
| RS AWD | $48,095 | $48,895 | 307 miles |
Following another record quarter of EV sales in Q3, GM said that the Chevy Equinox EV was the best-selling non-Tesla electric vehicle in the US.
With several new affordable EVs arriving, including the new Nissan LEAF, will the Equinox continue to be a top seller in 2026? It will be interesting to see where the rankings end up at this time next year.
Wondering if Chevy’s electric SUV lives up to the hype? You can use our link to find 2025 and 2026 Chevy Equinox EV models near you and try it out for yourself.
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A surge in EV charging cable thefts is putting the reliability of the UK’s charging network at risk and undermining trust among drivers. InstaVolt is the UK’s largest network of fast chargers, and over the past two years, nearly 1,000 of its charging stations (it has over 2,100, so nearly 50%) have been targeted by cable thieves. But now InstaVolt is fighting back with GPS tracking.
Bafflingly, the incentive for thieves is low-value scrap: There’s only about £25 ($33) worth of copper inside a charging cable. But the damage is costly – around £1,000 ($1,342) per site for repairs.
In April, InstaVolt CEO Delvin Lane told the BBC that the thefts had cost his company about £410,000 ($550,150) since November 2023. Lane said, “This isn’t just an InstaVolt problem; this is an industry problem. The biggest impact is on drivers.”
InstaVolt has reinforced its cables with Kevlar sheaths, making them harder to cut. It has also rolled out live GPS tracking across its network on its charging cables in partnership with GPS supplier Trackit247. The technology provides location updates every three seconds, allowing the company to detect, trace, and recover stolen cables in real time.
Each charging cable is geo-fenced to its charger, so an alert is immediately triggered if it moves outside the designated area. InstaVolt’s 24/7 security center receives instant notifications by text, email, and phone, and it can coordinate directly with the police.
The system’s biggest advantage is live tracking in transit. If a thief drives off with a charging cable, police can follow its exact route and move in fast, increasing the chance of recovery and arrest. Instavolt’s GPS technology marks a major step forward in protecting critical EV infrastructure, deterring theft, and enabling quick response when it happens.
Read more: Meet the UK’s largest solar + storage EV charging ‘Superhub’
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