Germany defends the internal combustion engine against the rest of Europe

By 2036, the European Union looks to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles. But Germany has asked for more time in its energy transition, and has come to the defense of the internal combustion engine.

Reuters reports:

The law is aimed at speeding up Europe's shift to electric vehicles to combat climate change. But Germany is seeking wiggle room for combustion engines that run on fuels produced using electricity, or e-fuels.

“The commission should come forward with a proposal [on] how e-fuels can be used, or how combustion engines which are run with climate-neutral fuels can be organised,” Germany’s state secretary for transport, Michael Theurer, said on Monday. ...

EU Transport Commissioner Adina Valean said many in the transport sector shared Germany’s concerns. “I think the discussion is not closed, even though the vote was taken,” she told a news conference.

Reuters notes that Germany is home to Volkswagen and BMW.

Related reading: EU votes to ‘effectively’ ban sales of gas vehicles after 2035

The German approach is in line with how Americans have balanced their interest in electric vehicles, which are novel, with internal combustion engines that are reliable.

In Michigan in 2021, there were 17,500 electric vehicles registered, compared to 123,600 hybrids, according to U.S. Department of Energy data.There are 7 million gas-powered vehicles in Michigan.

Any transition will take time, even as the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy believes Michigan will have 2 million EVs on the road by 2030.

Michigan is on the same timeline as the EU when it comes to moving away from coal. The state expects that in 2035, the utility company DTE will retire its last coal plant, which is in Monroe.

Four of Michigan’s top 10 energy producers in 2021 were coal plants. By 2030, only the Monroe plant will be running.