Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 12, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleVolvo Cars urges the EU to maintain the fossil-fuel car ban, highlighting readiness for electric vehicles despite lobbying from Germany and Italy.
By Marie Mannes
STOCKHOLM, Dec 12 (Reuters) - A Volvo Cars executive said on Friday he hoped the European Commission would resist pressure to scrap an effective ban on combustion engine car sales, saying the Swedish automaker was "ready to go" with electric alternatives.
Germany, Italy and their manufacturers have been lobbying Brussels to at least water down plans for a ban by 2035, arguing they need support in the face of intense competition from China.
A leading German EU lawmaker said on Friday the European Commission will move to scrap the ban next week and suggested there would be an alternative proposal for a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions for automakers' fleet targets
Ditching the ban would be "a pity," Volvo Cars Chief Commercial Officer Erik Severinson told Reuters.
Volvo Cars and fellow Swedish automaker Polestar have been among the fiercest opponents of changing plans, alongside other electric car makers that say they feel let down after investing heavily in the transition.
Severinson said he understood there would be some sort of compromise on the proposals, but warned that shifting course now would undermine confidence in future regulation.
"It kind of deteriorates the trust for the whole system... We have invested a lot and we're ready to go," he said. "All of a sudden, the playing field changes because someone else wasn't."
"I don't expect us to have been fully heard in the compromise that comes, and that is very negative for us," he added.
The planned ban was a key part of the EU's strategy to drive the continent's decarbonisation and boost the development of electric vehicles.
Campaigners calling for the EU to scrap it say the bloc should allow other technologies including plug-in hybrids, biofuels and e-fuels.
(Reporting by Marie Mannes; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, and managing the day-to-day operations of the EU.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are automobiles that are powered by electric motors instead of internal combustion engines, using electricity stored in batteries.
Sustainability refers to the practice of meeting current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, often focusing on environmental, economic, and social dimensions.
A combustion engine is an engine that generates power by burning fuel, typically gasoline or diesel, to create a series of controlled explosions that drive the engine's pistons.
CO2 emissions are carbon dioxide gases released into the atmosphere, primarily from burning fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change and global warming.
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