Overview
- Commission sources and EPP leader Manfred Weber say the plan replaces the 2035 zero‑CO2 target with a 90% fleet reduction and drops a 100% goal for 2040.
- Brussels has not confirmed a final decision as internal talks continue, with a College vote slated for Monday before a formal presentation in Strasbourg.
- Exemptions under discussion include plug‑in hybrids and range‑extender vehicles, while eligibility of traditional petrol and diesel models remains unclear.
- Extra emissions would be offset through measures such as using green steel in manufacturing or increasing renewable and synthetic fuels in the mix.
- Pressure from industry and member states, including a letter by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and appeals by leaders like Giorgia Meloni and Donald Tusk, drove the shift, as a ZDF poll shows 63% of Germans back allowing combustion registrations after 2035.