2035 combustion ban moves forward after Germany and EU reach agreement on e-fuels
Following talks that carried late into Friday evening, representatives from both the EU and member state Germany have relayed that an agreement has been reached in the proposed 2035 ban of new combustion vehicle sales that will now include exceptions for e-fuels. After 2035, some combustion vehicles can still be sold, as long as they run entirely on carbon-neutral fuel alternatives.
We don’t feel the need to give you the full recap, because we’ve been updating this ongoing saga of the EU commission’s attempt to enact its 2035 ban on combustion cars almost bi-weekly at this point. That being said, we may have finally reached a bookend on the tale that appeases the Commission, pleases Germany, yet still leaves plenty of others upset.
Most recently, Germany’s distaste for the proposed 2035 ban of new combustion vehicle sales in the EU was gaining steam, with several allies joining the automotive powerhouse of a country in speaking out on the lack of clarity regarding carbon-neutral e-fuels.
Last October, the EU Commission thought this was already a done deal, until Germany got cold feet, so its members quickly began scrambling to reach an agreement to regain the country’s vital blessing of the ban.
Earlier this week, we learned that the EU Commission had drafted a proposal to appease the unhappy member states that included new terms for combustion vehicles using e-fuels, hearing that a deal could be done as early as this past Thursday.
Those talks carried over into Friday in Europe, but an agreement has been reached and the EU’s 2035 combustion ban can finally move forward to its final vote. That being said, additional provisions will still need to be provided to truly grasp how e-fuel vehicles can be sold without any risk of traditional fuel use.
EU’s 2035 ban gets green light following e-fuel provisions
According to the head of EU climate policy Frans Timmerman, the Commission has reached an agreement with Germany on the future use of e-fuels vehicles after the 2035 combustion ban takes effect. German transport minister Volker Wissing, who has been the ringleader in his country’s sudden change of heart regarding the ban, shared a similar sentiment on Twitter Friday:
The way is clear: Europe remains technology-neutral. Vehicles with combustion engines can also be newly registered after 2035 if they only use CO2-neutral fuel. We secure opportunities for Europe by retaining important options for climate-neutral and affordable mobility.
A new vote, which expected to take place this coming Tuesday in Brussels, should pass with Germany’s blessing, but we’ve heard that before. Other EU countries like Italy, who originally backed Germany’s call for e-fuel exceptions, want even more assurances from the EU Commission, but with Germany now back onboard the 2035 ban, those other countries aren’t a large enough minority to block the vote.
What’s interesting about the agreement is that the text of the original regulation will not change from last year. After the ministers sign off on it next week, the Commission plans to follow up with additional details on how to implement new provisions on e-fuel vehicles.
You can’t please everyone as they say, and environmental activists – already angered by Germany’s sudden change of heart toward the 2035 EU ban, are further enraged by the recent compromise for carbon-neutral vehicles. Arguments from organizations like Greenpeace state that these provisions distract from the broader goal of implementin fully-electric and ZERO-emissions vehicles – which truly feels like the inevitable path the world is on right now, even 12 years out from the EU’s 2035 combustion ban.
Even some Germans like Green member of European Parliament Michael Boss have spoken out:
The automotive sector has wholeheartedly embraced electric cars, rendering the previous debate on the matter absurd and damaging Germany’s credibility. It is now time to make reparations.
Let’s hope this is the last update regarding this story so the EU can get the 2035 combustion ban through its final vote and enacted into law. Next, we will have to see how those e-fuel provisions will work and how those automakers intend to build engines that operate carbon-neutrally without any chance of someone sneaking gas or diesel into them.
Electrek’s take
Now that we’ve (hopefully) reached a solution this whole ordeal in the EU, I feel like I can finally comment on it. As an environmentalist, EV enthusiast, and proponent of new technologies, I obviously side with the statements from Greenpeace and Michael Boss above.
To me, this whole debate feels like a grand waste of time and a mere drop in the bucket in relation to the future of mobility in both the EU and the world. If this is what it takes to get Germany back to Brussels with a vote of “aye,” fine. I understand why the EU Commission decided to bend on e-fuel exemptions.
The fact that the same agreed upon regulation on the EU’s 2035 combustion ban will remain intact is important, but I wonder how these promised e-fuel provisions will even work? These automakers that are so hellbent on allowing sales of carbon-neutral vehicles after 2035 may still have to develop entirely new engines that accept e-fuels, but not gas or diesel.
My question is, why not put all that money, research, and development into zero-emission vehicles? We’ve already reached critical mass in EV adoption, and we’ve seen the segment explode in recent years. How is the mobility landscape going to look 10+ years from now? Will anyone even be interested in an e-fuel vehicle in 2035, when they can get a BEV that hopefully has solid state batteries, some level of autonomy, and produces zero emissions for the same price, or even less?
I’m not a fortune teller, but that seems like an inevitable future with the way the industry is shifting and the speed at which EV technology is advancing. Maybe I’m dreaming, but if that is the outlook, why not fully lean in and try to lead that paradigm shift instead of clinging to technology that already feels obsolete compared to what’s currently being developed?
Regardless of the success or lack thereof e-fuel vehicles will have, I’m happy to hear the combustion ban is moving forward, and so should drivers in the EU. This is still a landmark regulation that sets a major precedent for ending carbon emissions on roads around the world.
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Founded in 1689, Husqvarna was a musket maker for the king of Sweden – but now, the company best known for quirky motorcycles and commercial riding mowers is becoming an innovator in the field of robotics, and its latest fleet of electric autonomous mowers are eager to get grazing.
Husqvarna’s autonomous lawnmowers made history earlier this year at the AIG Women’s Open, when they became the first autonomous groundskeeping solution to see duty during a UK Major golf week.
“At the AIG Women’s Open, the Husqvarna portfolio is helping us deliver this goal through improved resource management, regular lightweight mowing and reduced carbon usage,” explains Royal Porthcawl’s Course Manager, Ian Kinley, who has championed the use of robotic technology at the course. “With the AIG Women’s Open set to be the largest-ever women’s sporting event in Wales, we know there’s tremendous pressure to produce playing surfaces that are worthy of such a high-profile event.”
The robots themselves operate a bit differently than Husqvarna’s traditional line of big, bad, zero-turn riding mowers that whip through thick grass once or twice a month with heavy, whirling blades. Instead, they employ a series of tiny razor blades that gently nibble at the grass daily – just like little electric sheep grazing on the turf.
“That cutting system, developed by Husqvarna engineers, has then become the basis for the entire robot mower industry, of which we’re the market leader,” Nick Rawson, VP of Strategy and Business Development at Husqvarna told Forbes.
Events like the AIG Women’s Open are proving that the little robot Huskies can get the job done quietly, sustainably, and with significantly less operator input. As such, you’d think everyone at Husqvarna would be excited about them.
You’d be wrong. The company’s franchise dealers have been hesitant to push them forward, effectively putting the parent company in the position of going B2C, or going home.
“Dealers live and breathe the previous technology,” said Yvette Henshall-Bell, Husqvarna’s President of its Forest and Garden division for Europe, in that same Forbes piece. “They want to protect that servicing, that aftermarket revenue. Whereas if they really thought about what the customer’s problems are and the job to be done, they would be looking at a completely different solution.”
A solution, frankly, that looks a lot like a little robot mower.
The things, themselves
Husqvarna offers three types of autonomous electric mowers aimed at commercial golf courses, but the Husqvarna CEORA for large-area mowing, and Husqvarna Automower, for smaller, steeper and more complex areas, are the models relevant to this story.
The bigger CEORA can handle up to 18 acres of ground twice each week, while the Automower, with its 80V battery and pinpoint precision EPOS (Exact Positioning Operating System) software, can handle another 2.5 acres. Both are fully electric, and can guide themselves back to their pens to recharge as needed.
Prices aren’t public, but the Husqvarna CEORA and Automowers are available as part of a custom lease package through Husqvarna Finance that will include access to the company’s customizable back end and ongoing support. Check with your local dealer for more.
Electrek’s Take
As a typically pro-union, pro-labor type of guy, I am hesitant to heap praise upon a robot taking away anyone’s job. That said, it does seem to be difficult for landscapers and construction crews to keep and find good labor at rates they can afford (and, let’s face it – the current Trump Administration isn’t going to be making that any easier). As such, if companies like Husqvarna and John Deere and Einride and others can build a demonstrably better mousetrap at a compelling price point … good for them. (?)
Let us know what you think in the comments.
SOURCES: Forbes, Golf Monthly; images by Husqvarna.
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Environment
Podcast: Apple CarPlay in Tesla cars, VW on Superchargers, Toyota electric pickup, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Apple CarPlay possibly coming to Tesla cars, VW getting access to Superchargers, a Toyota electric pickup, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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US EV sales declined in October following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit on September 30, and the average transaction price (ATP) edged up, according to initial estimates from Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand. However, there are still deals to be had.
Kelley Blue Book’s initial estimates show that US EV sales fell to 74,835 in October, down 48.9% from September, which was a record month, and 30.3% year-over-year.
Prices also ticked up. The average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV climbed 1.6% month-over-month to $59,125, which is 2.3% higher than a year ago.
Tesla didn’t escape the downturn, but it held up better than the overall EV market. The company’s ATP fell 1.1% from September to $53,526, and its prices are 5.5% lower than they were in October 2024. Sales of the Model 3 and Model Y both declined month-over-month, and overall Tesla sales decreased by 35.3% from September and 23.6% year-over-year, which are smaller declines compared to the broader EV segment.
Cox Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty said the shift wasn’t surprising:
We expected this shift in the electric vehicle market. With the IRA-backed sales incentives gone, lower-cost EV volume was hit hard, pushing the mix toward more luxury and driving October’s EV ATP to a 2025 high of $59,125 – now $9,359 above the industry average. Affordability has always been the core challenge with EV sales, and this reset only underscores how critical it is to bring more attainable EV options to market.
Electrek’s Take
September was a record-breaking month for both EV deals and sales. Dealers were offering all sorts of sweet incentives to stack with the federal tax credit to move cars off the lot. October’s sales drop was entirely anticipated, like a pounding headache after a big blowout party.
We didn’t know what the post-federal tax credit EV market would look like. As Valdez Streaty rightly states, EVs do have a higher ATP than the industry average. But it turns out that, so far, it’s not all doom and gloom, and the federal tax credit isn’t the only incentive in town.
Every month, I compile great EV lease deals, and for the last few months, some EVs’ monthly lease payments have been cheaper than before the federal tax credit expired. Many states are still offering rebates on EV purchases, and dealers still have really good deals. While cheaper models would definitely be welcome, there are good deals available right now.
And let’s not forget the fact that EVs are much cheaper to drive than gas cars, with or without that tax credit.
Read more: From $189 a month: 5 of the best EV lease deals in November [Updated]
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