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VW is again relying on combustion engines: climate goals are at risk!
Volkswagen plans to sell combustion engines longer than 2033. Critics warn of climate damage and are calling for a faster switch to electric cars.
VW is again relying on combustion engines: climate goals are at risk!
The Volkswagen Group plans to continue producing vehicles with combustion engines for longer than originally planned. Like that Handelsblatt reports, the VW and Audi brands will continue to offer models with gasoline and diesel engines even after 2033. This decision contradicts the Paris climate goals and could negatively impact efforts to expand the electric car market. Porsche had previously announced that it would invest more heavily in the development of combustion engines, which further fueled concerns about the greenness of mobility.
The environmental organization Greenpeace filed a lawsuit against the Volkswagen Group in 2021 to demand greater efforts to protect the climate. Mobility expert Marion Tiemann explained that the resulting slow progress in switching to electric vehicles not only harms the climate, but could also limit the range of inexpensive electric cars. In addition, VW CEO Blume plans to invest more resources in the production of climate-damaging combustion engines, while at the same time lobbying for a weakening of climate protection guidelines in Brussels.
Rethinking combustion engine strategies
How T3N Reportedly, Porsche and Audi are also reconsidering their original plans for phasing out combustion engine technology. With a stagnant electric vehicle market, new models with traditional engines appear to be coming back into play, while e-fuels – synthetically produced, zero-emission fuels – may offer an alternative solution. However, these are not yet commercially available, which further complicates the revival of the combustion engine market.
The current scenario comes in the context of a major rethink by several car manufacturers who are reviewing their plans to phase out combustion engines in the face of the weakening market. Several manufacturers have adapted their strategies, and so it remains to be seen what steps the major German brands will take in the coming years.