Germany blocks the ban on internal combustion engines in 2035

In an effort to protect its leading industry from the wrenching change of scrapping combustion-engine cars, Germany is blocking final approval of the European Union's legislation to ban the sale of new CO2-emitting cars from 2035

The EU's combustion engine ban seemed a done deal. Both the European Parliament and EU countries in the Council had agreed to a law that would forbid the sale of new CO2-emitting cars and vans from 2035, making electric vehicles the norm. EU ministers were scheduled to give final approval on Tuesday — but then Germany balked.

The reason: The Free Democratic Party (FDP), one of three parties making up Germany's ruling coalition, wants the European Commission to include a loophole in the legislation that would allow sales of vehicles with combustion engines, as long as they use so-called e-fuels. These synthetic fuels are climate neutral but require a lot more energy to produce than charging an electric vehicle.

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