Despite the enormous uproar that arose a few weeks ago due to the pressures of Germany For the EU to exempt vehicles powered by synthetic fuels from the ban on the sale of new thermal cars from 2035, its impact on the industry is far less than most would have predicted.
And it is that, at the moment of truth, the vast majority of manufacturers do not consider them a viable alternative due to costs and energy efficiency. thomas schäfferCEO of the Volkswagen brand, considers that the controversy led by the German authorities “It is unnecessary noise, from my point of view. Internal combustion engines will stop working in 2035. At Volkswagen, they will be extinct in 2033, and by 2030 we will already be selling 80% of electric cars in Europe. So why spend a fortune on old technology that doesn’t pay off?”
This view coincides with that of Luca de MeoCEO of the Renault Group, who recently pointed out that the future of the sector depends on the electric car. “No one is developing a new combustion engine from scratch in Europe… All the money goes into electric or hydrogen technology.”
Despite the fact that the three main European groups (Renault, Stellantis, Volkswagen) are investing in this technology, they are aware that its use will be limited to high-end models (Porsche) and the decarbonization of vehicles currently in circulation. “The wide adoption of e-fuels would offer customers with existing internal combustion vehicles an easy and affordable option to decarbonise them”recently pointed out Stellantis, who plans to stop selling thermal cars in the old continent in the year 2030.
European manufacturers turn their backs on the internal combustion engine
The last manufacturer to join this group has been Mercedes-Benz, whose top manager, Ola Källeniushas ensured that electric cars are a superior solution to e-fuels. “We already said four years ago that our new fleet of vehicles across the entire value chain should be CO2-neutral in terms of balance sheet by 2039. That is our goal.”
The manager is aware that electric mobility is arriving much faster than expected, which is why he asks the authorities to collaborate so that its implementation is as smooth as possible. «The charging infrastructure must be expanded as quickly as possible and we must do everything we can to promote green electricity generation.
The electric car is still a young technology compared to the combustion engine. We still see great potential for progress: the electric motor will surpass the internal combustion engine in terms of performance before the end of this decade.”
Source | Motor.es
