The European Parliament's Environment Committee has moved to relax the EU's CO2 targets for 2035, handing internal combustion vehicles fresh wiggle room in what is shaping up as a broad renegotiation of the bloc's emissions roadmap. As Motor1 reports, the committee set a 2030 target of 35 percent — well short of the European Commission's own 40 percent proposal and a steep step down from the 50 percent reduction vans face under the rules already in place. Autoevolution describes the move as a deliberate loosening of the 2035 restrictions, and it is the most concrete signal yet that the phase-out is being reopened.
The softer tailpipe line, however, collides with a harder edge on batteries. German regional press reports that Europe's battery manufacturers face a “tariff shock” from January, just as LFP cells gain importance across the continent. Volkswagen, for one, uses LFP batteries in the smaller battery versions of its new ID electric cars — and because Europe lags particularly far behind in this technology, the same reports warn, dependence on China is set to increase before it eases. Volkswagen is responding by deepening its cooperation with a Chinese battery manufacturer.
The dual policy track lands on an industry already under strain. As Jacobin observes, Volkswagen is confronting three simultaneous developments: sales in China are falling, the company is increasingly sourcing technology from Chinese partners, and in Europe the EU is protecting the market from Chinese imports. The result is a squeeze between shrinking sales in China and deepening reliance on Chinese partners for the very technology the bloc's transition demands.
For Eastern Europe's dealers and fleet buyers, the practical readout is a broader powertrain mix with a longer shelf life. A committee position is not yet final law, but the direction of travel is clear: more flexibility on tailpipe emissions, less on where batteries come from. Petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric models will compete side by side on the region's forecourts for longer than the original 2035 deadline implied — which makes comparing prices across drivetrains more valuable than ever.
For anyone mapping a purchase against this shifting rulebook, a wide market overview is the natural first step. Readers looking for a vehicle can find sensational cars at sensational conditions at WorldTrader24, Europe's marketplace with over 70,000 vehicles — from combustion models with an extended runway to the latest electric cars.
