Prohibition Of Vehicles Fueled By European Automotive Industry Ancam Fossils, BMW Asks To Be Canceled Only

BMW Group premiered two electric MINI and BMW Neue Classe Vision on the Paris Auto Show 2024. (Doc. BMW Group)

JAKARTA - The European Union (EU) has been solid with plans to ban the sale of new fossil-fueled cars by 2035. A number of regulations leading there have also been prepared, starting in March 2023 EU member countries approved an important law requiring all new cars with zero CO2 emissions by 2035. This effectively prohibits the sale of gasoline and diesel cars. The regulation also requires a 55 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 compared to the level of 2021.

This EU decision was not all welcomed, one of which came from the German auto giant BMW. At the current Paris Motor Show exhibition, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse urged this rule to be canceled if the EU did not want to have a high dependence on China.

This move, according to Zipse, is needed to reduce dependence on the battery supply chain from China and be able to maximize the power of European technology.

Zipse, which has been vocal in encouraging regulators to allow other technologies besides electric cars (BEVs), such as hydrogen cars and alternative fuels (e-fuels and biofuels), assesses that Europe is heading for a "pessimism" related to its CO2 emission target.

"correcting the target of 100 percent BEV by 2035 as part of a comprehensive CO2 reduction package will make Europe's Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) less dependent on China for batteries," Zipse said at the Paris Motor Show.

"To maintain success, a regulatory framework that is neutral to certain technologies is very important," he added.

The call for easing this emission target is not only from BMW. Other car manufacturers such as VW and Renault, as well as the Italian government, are also worried about heavy fines due to lower-than-expected sales of electric cars.

However, Germany, BMW's home country, refused to accelerate its target review. Germany argued that clarity for the industry and urgency of climate change management were the main considerations.

Meanwhile, the head of the French car association (PFA) in Paris, although he did not explicitly request the abolition of the 2035 ban, stated the need for a re-discussion of the target as soon as possible. The plan, a review of the emission target will be carried out in 2026.