Susana Solís, the Ciudadanos MEP and member of the liberal group Renew Europe, pointed out that the European Union’s (EU) ban on the sale of combustion engine cars from 2035 has a review clause in 2027, for the European Commission to assess whether “all enabling conditions” are in place to meet the objective.
“It will be examined in 2027 whether the charging point network is ready, if we have the materials, the battery index, if the demand for electric cars evolves as it should, if there are resources to train staff, to educate, to transform professionals,” stated the MEP at the Annual Congress of the car dealers association (Foconauto).
Solís, who confirmed that this “leaves the door open to subsequent review,” highlighted that the 2035 target is something “we all have clear,” and it has the “commitment of the entire sector.”
Likewise, she pointed out that “we also don’t have to confuse the industry and the citizens anymore.”
Regarding the negotiation of Euro 7, in which Solís was involved, she assured that it was “like giving birth” and that they managed to turn around the Commission’s proposal, which was “irrational,” with “unattainable” deadlines and limits.
“The important thing is, we have a Euro 7 that resembles a Euro 6, but with filters for fine particles, which are easy to implement, and it doesn’t increase the price of the car by a single euro because the important thing is to remove polluting cars from the market, which is critical for manufacturers’ safety so they can direct investments towards lowering the cost of electric cars,” highlighted the MEP.
Likewise, Solís indicated that “something is changing in Europe,” and it’s not just because of the proximity to the upcoming European elections but because the Old Continent has “a serious competitiveness problem in all sectors,” including the automotive sector, while pointing to the next legislative period as the one of the “Industrial Pact,” for companies’ competitiveness and for geographical autonomy.
Read more: Solís: “Euro 7 must be more demanding in the performance and durability of EV batteries”
