Europe is at a crossroads. The debate around the 2035 CO₂ standards for cars and vans is no longer a technical discussion, it is a political reality check. The question is simple: will Europe lead the transition with technology and innovation, or will it limit itself through bans and ideology?
Across Europe, political momentum is building for a rethink of the de facto ban on the internal combustion engine (ICE). Austria has circulated a non-paper. Germany’s Chancellor Merz has made his position clear. Italy, alongside Germany’s Transport Ministry, has formally called for a revision. In the European Parliament, an increasing number of Members, are asking the same question: should Europe really turn its back on technologies that can deliver carbon-neutral mobility today?
Today, 97% of all transport fuels are liquid, and the infrastructure, vehicles, and expertise supporting them represent billions in value
The answer came from the road itself.
The recent Tour d’Europe proved that climate neutrality is not a dream. It’s already happening. Covering 82,800 kilometres across 18 countries, a fleet powered by 86% of renewable fuels achieved a 77% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and up to 87% if we look at the renewable fuels that were used. These are not lab results or theoretical models, they are verifiable, digitally tracked data, from production site to the wheel.
The journey demonstrated three undeniable facts:
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Renewable fuels are available today.
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They are compatible with existing vehicles.
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Their sustainability can be proven and traced.
Europe cannot afford to ignore this. Today, 97% of all transport fuels are liquid, and the infrastructure, vehicles, and expertise supporting them represent billions in value. To discard this ecosystem rather than convert it through the use of decarbonised fuels would be a strategic mistake, economically, socially, and environmentally.
The President of the European Commission claimed the need for full technology neutrality, yet the current CO₂ regulation effectively excludes any solution other than full electrification
Technology is the key
Europe’s climate objectives will only be achieved through technology openness, not technology bans. The President of the European Commission claimed the need for full technology neutrality, yet the current CO₂ regulation effectively excludes any solution other than full electrification. That is not policy, it is dogma.
This is not a call to stop electrification. It is a call to complement it. To make room for carbon-neutral fuels (CNFs) that can cut emissions across Europe’s existing fleet, without leaving millions of drivers or entire regions—behind.
The message from several European automotive and industrial leaders is also unequivocal. They urge the EU to review the 2035 regulation. The reason is simple: a one-size-fits-all approach will not deliver the emissions reductions Europe needs, nor the industrial resilience it deserves. The VDA, the Association of the German Automotive industry, together with IG Metall, the largest German trade union, call for a flexible, technology-open adjustment of the CO₂ standards to reflect market realities and safeguard industrial jobs.
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