It’s regarding “openness to know-how”, “towards a ban on combustion engines” and a “sure to the automobile”, mentioned Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Economics Minister Kocher and Styria’s Governor Christopher Drexler (all ÖVP), who’re assembly with IV and representatives of automobile corporations, however with out Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens), for a “spherical desk” adopted by a press convention.
The ÖVP sees Austria’s robust provider business, with a give attention to Styria, as being in danger. A yr in the past, the ÖVP known as an “auto summit” with the identical demand, and Nehammer has since raised the demand for an finish to a “combustion engine ban” within the EU extra usually. Nonetheless, the EU doesn’t envisage a ban on combustion engines, however requires that new automobiles be CO2-neutral from 2035. This implies a ban on refueling with the fossil fuels petrol and diesel and is thus interpreted as a “combustion engine ban”. However combustion engines which can be fueled with CO2-neutral gasoline (SAF) stay expressly permitted – below stress from Germany. Hydrogen-powered automobiles additionally stay permitted. On this respect, the regulation is considered as technology-neutral at EU degree. The EU additionally factors out that in any case will probably be reviewed in 2026 whether or not the tip of fossil fuels for brand spanking new automobiles ought to are available in 2035 as deliberate. The EU regulation doesn’t present for a ban on automobiles which have already been registered.
“Politics will not be supposed to create uncertainty”
Nonetheless, SAF, the one identified, probably CO2-neutral gasoline for combustion engines, is extremely controversial in science as a result of giant quantities of – inexperienced – electrical energy are wanted to provide it in an environmentally pleasant method. It’s usually assumed that it’s extra vitality environment friendly to run a automobile with electrical energy than to make use of electrical energy to provide SAF following which burn it in a automobile engine.
On Monday, Drexler known as for “openness to know-how” within the Ö1 morning journal, which additionally consists of not banning combustion engines. He trusts science and engineers greater than “a whole bunch of EU representatives” relating to technical solutions to local weather safety. It’s regarding competitors between fashionable applied sciences. “In any case, politics will not be supposed to create uncertainty, fairly the other,” assured Drexler.
The ÖVP can really feel at residence in its political household on the EU degree, as a result of the European Folks’s Celebration (EPP) can be calling for an finish to the ban on combustion engines. In Germany, alternatively, the red-green-liberal federal authorities mentioned at an auto summit in November 2023 the way to obtain the goal of 15 million electrical automobiles by 2030 and the way to help an extra market ramp-up of battery-powered fashions.
Examine: Austria’s automobile business urgently wants extra analysis
Additionally on Monday, the foyer group Oecolution, which is financed by the WKÖ and IV, revealed a examine commissioned by the Economica Institute. In response to the examine, Austria’s automotive business urgently wants extra analysis. In any other case, it might lose contact with China and the booming innovation there – particularly within the area of electromobility. In response to Oecolution, Austria should proceed to work on enhancing the vitality effectivity of combustion engines and speed up analysis into the fast discount of CO2 emissions within the space of biofuels and e-fuels “within the transition section when many combustion engines are nonetheless in use.”
However Austria additionally has “an necessary future area that must be additional developed: different drives”. These embrace electrical automobiles, hydrogen automobiles and “different revolutionary approaches”. “Since we don’t but know what technological breakthroughs await us, it’s of nice significance to intensively advance analysis in these areas,” says the examine.
