BMW CEO calls for easing EU ban on combustion by 2035, future travel is more than just electric vehicles

Recently, BMW CEO Zipse publicly stated that the EU's plan to ban combustion by 2035 is not realistic, and called for a relaxation of this plan. He pointed out that although many car companies in Europe have accepted the trend of car electrification, BMW still chooses a diversified strategy, not only investing in electric vehicles, but also increasing their efforts in alternative technology such as e-fuels and hydrogen fuel cells, believing that future transportation methods should not be limited to electric vehicles.

Zipse's worries come from the ban on combustion law passed by the EU in March 2023. This law requires that carbon emissions from cars must be reduced by 55% compared to 2021, starting from 2030, and all new vehicles must achieve zero carbon emissions by 2035. However, Zipse believes that the European continent is not yet ready to give up gasoline and fuel engines, and this move may threaten the core business of the European auto industry, and the subsidies from various European countries for electric vehicles are also difficult to sustain.

This stance of BMW reflects different opinions in the car industry about the ban on combustion, and also proposes more possibilities for future car technology development path. With the increasing attention to environmental protection and sustainable development worldwide, how to maintain the competitiveness of the car industry while reducing carbon emissions has become an urgent problem to be solved.