BMW Boss to European Union: Cancel the Combustion Engine Ban

In early 2023, the European Union voted on strict emission regulations that effectively banned the sale of new vehicles with combustion engines. At the time, electric vehicle development was in overdrive and trends pointed to increasing demand, but alas, times have changed. BMW is now among a growing coalition calling for an end to the ban.

BMW CEO Oliver Zipse said as much recently at the Paris Motor Show. According to Reuters, the top executive expressed deep concern for the viability of manufacturers should the ban remain in place. He highlighted China's position as a major supplier of batteries, which would require considerable cooperation at a time when relations between the Chinese government and Western nations aren't the greatest. He also spoke of pessimism throughout Europe for EVs, and he's not wrong. EV sales are largely down among most brands following the initial wave of buyers through the early 2020s.

"A correction of the 100 percent BEV target for 2035 as part of a comprehensive CO2-reduction package would also afford European OEMs less reliance on China for batteries," said Zipse at the Paris Motor Show, per Reuters. "To maintain the successful course, a strictly technology-agnostic path within the policy framework is essential."

Zipse isn't alone in his concerns for an all-electric future in 2035. Before the ink was even dry on the European Union's 2023 proposal, the German government spearheaded an alliance of seven nations opposing the ban. Germany and the EU ultimately compromised with an exception for ICE vehicles using synthetic or carbon-neutral fuels.

That didn't stop opposition from mounting further. In January 2024, Porsche's Chief Financial Officer Lutz Meschke said he expected the ban to either be delayed or ended outright. BMW and Volkswagen have pushed forward on new combustion engine development, as have many other automakers. In the political realm, Italy's Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin recently said the ban "must be changed." Volvo, however, is still completely for it.

Zipse's comments come as the automaker prepares to launch its Neue Klasse vehicles, a series of EVs that will mark a new generation for BMW.