E-Fuels & more lenient CO2 limits: Wissing's turnaround in three moves

After initial signals for a progressive traffic policy with the rejection of e-fuels and the recommendation to buy electric cars, the new Federal Minister for Digital and Transport (BMDV) Volker Wissing (FDP) apparently has plans to make another U-turn back to the original, conservative course. According to information from Spiegel based on internal documents, the minister apparently wants to deviate from the climate target in the coalition agreement, which stipulates that by 2030 at least 15 million fully electric-powered vehicles should be on the road. The intention now seems to be to use the "softer" wording from the coalition agreement's mobility chapter, "electric vehicles," which leaves open whether it refers to BEVs or also PHEVs, whereas the industry chapter of the coalition agreement clearly speaks of 15 million fully electric vehicles. 

When it gets concrete, ambitions fall

In addition, it appears that Germany will not take a more ambitious position on stricter CO2 fleet limits as intended. In fact, the responsible ministries, Environment under Steffi Lemke (Greens) and Transport, had agreed on the formula "We need more ambitions before 2030." That sentence appears to have been removed by the Ministry of Transport. Similarly, the statement that intermediate targets should be set "to exploit CO2 reduction potentials" has been deleted. In its place, it now seems to be stated that instead of stricter climate targets, the "fleet target values proposed by the EU Commission from 2030" should be supported.

Yet again: E-fuels in passenger cars from 2035

On the issue of e-fuels, the minister also seems to be backpedaling. At the beginning of the year, he had clearly spoken out against the use of energy-inefficient synthetic fuels in passenger cars and in favor of more efficient battery-electric mobility. Now, however, e-fuels are apparently to be promoted. Thus, in addition to "zero-emission vehicles," vehicles that can be "proven to be fueled exclusively with e-fuels" should also be allowed from 2035 onward—a wording that can also be found in the coalition agreement. It states verbatim:

"According to the proposals of the European Commission in the transport sector in Europe, 2035
only CO2-neutral vehicles will be approved – this will take effect earlier in Germany."
Outside the existing system of fleet limits, we advocate ensuring that
vehicles proven to be fueled exclusively with e-fuels can also be approved."

Time is of the essence, as the measures are to be part of the immediate climate protection program currently being developed under the leadership of Climate Protection and Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens). The transport sector in particular is being called upon to show more ambition because it has been stagnating at a high emission level for years. Quickly effective measures such as a speed limit of 130 km/h continue to be rejected by Wissing. According to the latest findings, this would save around two million tons of CO2, roughly equivalent to the emissions of domestic air traffic, a relevant figure.

Stronger tax on combustion engines rejected

Similarly rejected by Wissing's department is a stronger taxation of combustion engine vehicles, as recently proposed by scientists like Ferdinand Dudenhöffer to more efficiently promote e-mobility. Regarding the vague announcement by the Transport Minister on the issue of a 30 km/h speed limit, claiming more leeway would be given to municipalities, there is still no concrete draft legislation that would enable this. Recently, over 70 municipalities including the state capital Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg have joined in, where the city council overruled the CDU mayor.