EU environmental requirements for cars must be “feasible” – German transport minister
dpa
German transport minister Andreas Scheuer has reiterated his opposition to ambitious new CO2 limits for passenger cars that the European Commission is set to propose by June. He said such limits and other environmental requirements for passenger cars can be strict, but must also be feasible, reports news agency dpa. “One should be bold in the targets, but keep in mind the principle of what is technically possible,” he told dpa. “We must not lose the automotive industry in Europe.”
Parts of the German car industry have warned that future EU emission rules could mean the abrupt end of combustion engines and put many jobs at risk. While Germany's carmakers are in the process of speeding up electrification plans, many jobs in the country's supplier industry depend on the combustion engine. Germany's powerful car industry lobby group VDA insists that combustion engines can be part of a clean mobility future if synthetic fuels are used, a position Scheuer agreed to.