EU Opens the Door to Reversing Its 2035 Combustion Engine Ban

The European Union has taken a formal step toward reconsidering the 2035 ban on sales of new combustion-engine cars, according to Car and Driver. The move signals that the bloc may be willing to soften the rules that would effectively phase out gasoline and diesel passenger vehicles by the middle of the next decade.

The original target was a centerpiece of Europe’s climate strategy: zero tailpipe emissions from new cars sold in the EU by 2035. Automakers have invested heavily in electric lineups to meet that deadline, but pressure from industry, shifting political priorities and slower-than-expected EV demand have put the timeline under scrutiny.

Any change would have major implications for manufacturers, suppliers and consumers across Europe, and could ripple outward to global markets. For now, the EU’s action marks a formal opening rather than a final decision, leaving the future of the 2035 combustion ban genuinely uncertain.