The pact unlocks the community regulations after Berlin’s demands to guarantee the future of thermal technology with combustion engines through the exclusive use of e-fuels.
The European Union and Germany have reached a definitive consensus on the future of the automotive industry on the continent.
After weeks of intense negotiations, both parties agreed that the 2035 combustion engines will not disappear completely, as long as they exclusively use synthetic fuels neutral in CO2 emissions, known as e-fuels.
This agreement ends the blockade that Berlin had maintained on the climate legislation that intended to prohibit the sale of any new vehicle with a thermal engine from the middle of the next decade.
The core of the controversy lay in the original plan of Brussels, which sought for all new cars marketed from 2035 to be “zero emissions“, which in practice limited the market almost exclusively to battery electric vehicles.
However, the German Government, driven by its powerful industrial sector and the Ministry of Transport, demanded a technological exception that would allow the survival of traditional engines under the condition that the fuel used does not increase the net carbon balance in the atmosphere.
Under the terms of this new regulatory framework, a specific category of vehicles that run only on synthetic fuels will be created. To ensure compliance with this standard, manufacturers must integrate technological systems that prevent the engine from starting if it detects the use of conventional gasoline or diesel derived from petroleum.
With this measure, the European Union maintains its goal of achieving climate neutrality in road transport but relaxes the technological transition to avoid relying on a single energy solution.
This legislative advancement represents a breath for the European automotive infrastructure, allowing internal combustion technology to continue evolving towards sustainability.
The agreement not only guarantees the continuity of the mechanical components supply chain but also opens the door to new investments in the production of e-fuels on an industrial scale, a sector that until now lacked the legal certainty necessary for its massive expansion.
With the ratification of this pact, Germany manages to preserve one of its most critical industries, while the European Commission ensures the approval of its flagship climate package without fracturing the cohesion of the bloc.
The next step will be the formal integration of these technical details into the European regulations, establishing a clear path towards decarbonization that combines electrification with innovation in neutral chemical fuels.
