Legal Insurrection by Leslie Eastman 10/18/2024
BMW’s CEO Oliver Zipse: “To maintain the successful course, a strictly technology-agnostic path within the policy framework is essential.”Back in 2022, I reported that Toyota Motor chief Akio Toyoda remains skeptical of moving to only producing electric vehicles (EVs). Toyoda also indicated that most people who work in the auto industry agree with him.
“People involved in the auto industry are largely a silent majority,” Toyoda said. “That silent majority is wondering whether EVs are really OK to have as a single option. But they think it’s the trend so they can’t speak out loudly.”
Now BMW’s CEO Oliver Zipse argues that Europe’s 2035 ban on internal combustion engines (ICE) is unrealistic and could increase reliance on Chinese batteries.
BMW wants Europe to relax its plan to ban new petrol and diesel-powered cars from 2035 onward, in an effort to reduce the region’s reliance on batteries from China. While many automakers have fully embraced electrification, BMW is opting for a more diversified strategy.
In addition to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), the company is investing in alternative technologies such as e-fuels and hydrogen fuel cells, betting that the future of mobility won’t be driven by batteries alone.
At the this month’s Paris Auto Show, BMW’s CEO, Oliver Zipse, made it clear that Europe needs a new regulatory approach, one that leverages its own strengths in technology and doesn’t hinge so heavily on battery imports.
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https://legalinsurrection.com/2024/10/bmw-chief-says-europes-2035-ev-mandate-is-no-longer-realistic/