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Is the tide turning for the internal combustion engine?
In Germany, the country that invented the technology, the days of the internal combustion engine may be numbered.
Published: October 13, 2016, 10:49 am
Last week, the Bundesrat, the federal council of all 16 German states, voted to ban gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles by 2030.
It’s a strong statement in a country where the auto industry is one of the most important sectors in the economy.
Germany builds more automobiles than any other country in Europe, making it the third largest producer in the world.
The resolution passed by the Bundesrat called on the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, to “evaluate the recent tax and contribution practices of Member States on their effectiveness in promoting zero-emission mobility”.
This implies an end to lower levels of tax currently levied on diesel fuel across Europe.
Both the Dutch government and the Norwegian government are discussing the possibility of limiting gas-powered car sales and to allow only electric vehicle sales starting by 2025.
But while the Netherlands and Norway are fighting over the technicalities, a senior government official in Germany confirmed they will impose a mandate for all new cars registered in the country to be emissions free by 2030.
Europe’s use of diesel has come under scrutiny after continuing revelations about certain companies cheating on their emissions tests as well as the growing awareness of the health implications of diesel use.
VW recalled 8.5 million cars in Europe, including 2.4 million in Germany and 1.2 million in the UK, and 500,000 in the US as a result of the emissions scandal.
In September last year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that certain models had a “defeat device” – or software – in diesel engines to detect emissions testing, and then adjust the performance to improve results.
The new resolution, passed with support from both sides of the German political spectrum, is non-binding, so it has not yet been cast in stone.
It’s nevertheless evidence of a trend that has been gathering steam in Europe with increasingly tough emissions laws and moves by individual cities to restrict the use of fossil-fuel powered vehicles.
In April, Germany officially announced a new incentive and investment program to accelerate the adoption of electric cars in the country. The most important incentive is a €4,000 discount for all-electric vehicles.
Tesla meanwhile issued a complaint following the announcement of the program, claiming that the government and German automakers purposely set up the program to exclude Tesla in favor of local manufacturers.
Germany has a fleet of about 45 million vehicles including only about 150,000 hybrids and 25,000 all-electric vehicles. The new mandate will only be for new registrations. It takes about 20 years to replace an entire car fleet.
Based on VW’s planned battery factory and Daimler’s latest electric mobility plan to introduce new electric powertrains across all its brands, it looks as though battery-powered vehicles are about to shine in Germany.
The Environment Ministry confirmed that the transport industry is lagging behind in its plan to reduce carbon emission across all sectors in the country and that its emission levels remain virtually unchanged since the 1990s.
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