“Allow developments”: Laschet against the end date for internal combustion engines

Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet has spoken out against a state-set end date for the internal combustion engine.

"I do not think that we should set an exit date as a policy," said the CDU boss on Monday evening the station ProSieben.

“Allow technological developments,” added Laschet.

Laschet had already expressed doubts about a general ban around two weeks ago, but saw a ban as an option if the technical development of electric and fuel cells would allow it.

North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister positioned himself differently than CSU boss Markus Söder on this issue.

At the beginning of May, this brought the year 2035 into play again as the end date for the internal combustion engine.

From 2030, the Greens no longer want to allow cars with gasoline or diesel engines.

Laschet also emphasizes again that he does not want to shake the coal phase that has been decided for East Germany.

"I can make it faster in North Rhine-Westphalia," he said.

“I just don't think that it can be afforded any faster in East Germany.” It wasn't until 2020 that politicians agreed on a comprehensive compromise to phase out coal, together with structural aid for regions particularly affected by the phase out, such as Lusatia.

“That's why you have to stick to it,” added the CDU chairman.

IEA for combustion engine shutdown from 2035

The Bavarian Prime Minister and CSU leader Markus Söder announced at the beginning of May that Bavaria would strive for climate neutrality by 2040 - 10 years earlier than the target set for Germany. In the course of this, he had named the year 2035 as the end date for the internal combustion engine. Until then, alternative drives would have to be expanded, including more charging stations. But that only works “if we massively accelerate rail and public transport at the same time,” Söder had said.

Laschet's move is also at odds with the International Energy Agency, which on Tuesday proclaimed the farewell to the petroleum age: From now on, no more investments should be made in the development of new oil and gas reserves, demand the energy experts from Paris in a new report that describes how the world can reduce its net emissions of climate-damaging CO2 to zero by the middle of the century. In it, the IEA also recommends stopping the sale of cars with internal combustion engines around the world from 2035 and immediately stopping the construction of further conventional coal-fired power plants.