Lies is pushing for a quick consensus on the end of combustion engines in Berlin!

Lies is pushing for a quick consensus on the end of combustion engines in Berlin!

There is currently a crucial discussion in Germany about phasing out combustion engines. Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) has strongly advocated for a rapid agreement within the federal government on this issue. He demands that a solution must be found this week so that it can be presented at the next EU summit. Lies emphasizes how important a united German position is in these negotiations. He refers to the EU legislation, which from 2035 will only allow new cars that do not produce CO2 emissions, and which can currently only be implemented by electric cars, as stern.de reports.

But how realistic are the goals set? Lies considers the ambitious goal of 15 million electric cars by 2030 to be desirable, but no longer achievable. He is not alone in this; The current density of electric cars in Germany is less than 5% of the total vehicle population. New registrations of electric vehicles have fallen sharply after the end of the purchase bonus and even more than halved, which raises questions about the long-term goals.

Keep an eye on the climate

As part of the EU climate program, Germany has set itself the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 in order to ultimately achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045. Concerns about the ability to achieve these climate targets exist particularly in the transport sector, which will cause around 22% of total emissions in 2023. A key focus here is on emissions, which mainly come from the combustion of diesel and gasoline. Lies warns that a failure in the transport sector could also affect other industries such as chemical, steel and glass production, which bpb.de confirms.

The federal government is faced with a dilemma here: on the one hand, there is a clear pressure to act in order not to endanger the climate goals. On the other hand, there is massive political and economic resistance, especially from the Union. This is pushing for the requirements to be relaxed or postponed in view of the economic difficulties faced by many car manufacturers. It is clear that the mobility transition requires not only technical solutions, but also a comprehensive change in the population's usage behavior.

Technological openness or clear goals?

Lies has rejected technology openness after 2035, with the exception of range extenders and plug-in hybrids. He also rejects a pure e-fuels strategy and instead proposes an accounting model for CO₂ emissions. In his opinion, emissions from range extenders and hybrids should be offset with the fuel from the existing fleet. This perspective supports the call for support for small, affordable electric cars through so-called super credits, which disproportionately credit their CO₂ savings.

The critical assessment of the transport sector as an essential lever for climate protection measures is also reflected in the fact that, to date, numerous passenger volumes in public transport have remained below the level before the corona pandemic. Motorized individual transport still accounts for over 60% of transport services in Germany, which represents a challenge that needs to be overcome. There is therefore increasing pressure on manufacturers to adapt their existing combustion engine technologies and develop new, sustainable drive technologies in order to meet the EU target of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer from 2025.

The goal of counteracting the threat of missing targets with innovative approaches and a clear line in climate protection remains a priority. The ministry under Lies sees great potential in this, especially in international competition with Asian manufacturers. It will be exciting to see whether the federal government can develop the necessary roadmap to actually meet the ambitious climate goals, or whether the time frame of progress is needed to get on the right course.