Europe’s 2035 ICE ban deadline ‘could be delayed’
Porsche finance chief casts doubt over EU target for killing off the internal combustion engineThe European Union could delay its ambitious plan to ban the sale of new combustion-powered cars by 2035, according to Porsche’s chief financial officer Lutz Meschke.
Talking to journalists in Singapore last week, where the all-new 2024 Porsche Macan EV was unveiled, Meschke said a general slowdown in the number of EVs being bought by Europeans could trigger a rethink by EU law-makers.
“There’s a lot of discussions right now around the end of the combustion engine,” said Meschke, as quoted by newswire Bloomberg. “I think it could be delayed.”
His comments come as rumours swirl around Europe that the lifespan of ICE cars could be extended, based on widespread issues cited with EVs including a lack of reliable charging networks, the high price of models and the rollback of incentives.
The UK has already been forced to push back its original ICE ban from 2030 to 2035, while some car-makers in Europe – including Volkswagen – have been slowing down EV production as demand tapers off.
At the unveiling of the Macan EV, Meschke publicly criticised the culling of incentives, even though most Porsche EVs would not be eligible for them on account of their higher pricing.
“We have to see how steep the ramp-up curve is in coming years,” Meschke said.
“If we have a situation like now, with certain reluctance to buy electric cars in Europe, then maybe the subsidies will come back.”
In Porsche’s home market, Germany, the government is already lobbying Brussels to shield synthetic e-fuels from the upcoming ban.
E-fuels are favoured by Porsche as a viable low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels, and the company is investing heavily in the technology.
Sensing a growing backlash from car-makers and member states, the EU is also planning to relax its new Euro 7 emissions regulations ahead of their introduction in 2025.
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