Zoff between traffic light ministers
Greens and FDP are arguing about the combustion engine off
02/11/2022, 8:19 p.m
Because Environment Minister Lemke and Transport Minister Wissing cannot agree on the end date for combustion engines, according to a report, the coalition committee will deal with the issue. The Greens and the Liberals are at odds with one another on several issues.
According to the “Handelsblatt”, a dispute within the traffic light government about the end date for cars with combustion engines will be a case for the coalition committee. The newspaper reported this, citing government circles. According to the report, Transport Minister Volker Wissing and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke have not found a unified position for weeks. The responsible EU ministers want to discuss the issue at the beginning of March.
According to the “Handelsblatt”, the Green Lemke advocates tightening the fleet limits beyond the plans of the EU Commission (minus 75 instead of 55 percent in 2030 compared to 2021) and setting a binding end date for combustion engines from 2035. FDP politician Wissing, on the other hand, represents the position of the auto industry. They demand that no end date be set yet. In addition, the Minister of Transport wants vehicles that run on synthetic fuels (e-fuels) to be allowed to be registered from 2035.
Wissing also relies on hybrids
The “Spiegel” also reported that Wissing apparently also wanted to move away from the coalition’s goal of bringing at least 15 million fully electric cars onto the roads by 2030. In internal documents, Wissing’s officials replaced the abbreviation BEV (battery electric vehicles) with the word electric vehicle – this also includes plug-in hybrids that drive with a combustion engine and an additional electric motor. The Ministry of Transport informed the “Spiegel” on request that Wissing speaks regularly with Environment Minister Lemke, “because there are many coordination processes”.
At an event held by several media, Wissing recently said that he would welcome any contribution to reducing CO2 emissions in private transport. He doesn’t think it’s good “if we use bridging technologies like the hybrid, which help us to make the transition, that we badmouth them”. There shouldn’t be an either/or, said the minister with a view to fully electric cars. “Especially when it comes to individual mobility, we need a variety of options.”
He considers hybrids to be “a very important contribution to facilitating a switch from fossil fuel combustion engines to electric motors,” said the transport minister. With these vehicles, it is important to drive electrically wherever possible and to charge as often as possible. This can now also be recorded and evaluated. It can be seen that the e-range is increasing. Wissing also confirmed that the public network of charging stations for e-cars should be significantly expanded.