Goodbye to the gasoline engine: the expiration date of the internal combustion engine

In the hot phase of the World Climate Conference in Glasgow, more than two dozen countries want to set the tone with a definite rejection of the internal combustion engine. Twenty-four states, six major car manufacturers as well as some cities and investors want to set a deadline for the sale of cars with internal combustion engines, the British host of the climate summit announced on Wednesday. There was no detailed information about the signatories beforehand.

Participating governments want to “work to ensure that all sales of new cars and light commercial vehicles will be zero-emissions by 2040 worldwide and in leading markets by 2035 at the latest”.

So car companies should strive to sell only zero-emissions cars and trucks in leading markets by 2035 at the latest. According to the British announcement, the companies involved include Mercedes, Ford and General Motors. according to “trade newspaper» The Swedish manufacturer Volvo, Chinese BYD and Jaguar Land Rover, a unit of India’s Tata Motors, are also participating.

However, there are also significant absences: the world’s leading car manufacturers Volkswagen and Toyota do not show any interest in advertising. German automaker BMW doesn’t seem to want to join the commitment either.

According to the information of the German News Agency (dpa), negotiators were scrambling for details until late Tuesday evening. It is not yet clear whether Germany will sign the declaration until late at night. The Ministry of Environment said the federal government has not made a final decision yet. The delegated Minister of Transport, Andreas Scheuer (CSU), had previously rejected the move.

“The fossil combustion engine will end in 2035. Combustion technology is still needed,” Scheuer told reporters. “We want to make it climate-neutral by using synthetic fuels and maintaining the advantages of the technology.” The planned announcement does not take into account the propulsion with synthetic fuels. This is why his department is against it. This is also the line of the current federal government.

“It would be very embarrassing if Germany did not exist,” Martin Kaiser, head of Greenpeace, told dpa. Such an announcement is too late. About the Minister of Transport, Kaiser said: “Fortunately, Andreas Scheuer is now history.”

It is important that major auto companies such as VW, BMW and Daimler participate. Subsequent commitments also cannot be ruled out: On Tuesday, Germany signed an announcement only on Tuesday after days of reluctance to end funding for oil and gas projects abroad.

Due to the use of fossil fuels, the transportation sector is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world. According to experts, a shift in mobility towards clean forms of payment is critical to achieving international climate goals. (SDA/KOH)