The combustion engine ban, which was approved by the European Parliament and national governments two years ago, is in the sights of the stalling car industry. German chancellor Friedrich Merz is on a mission to strip back EU regulations he views as a burden on European industry. Von der Leyen needs to give something to the car industry, but still hang on to the broad ambition of her legislation. Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right Italian government has lined up beside Germany in opposition to the 2035 ban. Ban or no ban, Europe is up against the clock to produce affordable electric vehicles.
