Volvo's managing director believes that the EU can't afford anything other than banning the combustion engine. Electrification must not fail, he says.
Volvo's CEO, Jim Rowan, is directly opposed to a postponement of the ban on the combustion engine.
He believes that the EU has no economic alternative other than to ban both gasoline and diesel cars.
According to Rowan, the entire European industry must focus on the future and not retain the technologies of the past.
The European Commission still plans to introduce a total ban on the sale of new cars with combustion engines by 2035.
This year, however, several major automakers have experienced financial challenges related to stricter emissions regulations. The consequence has been threats of fines approaching thousands of billions.
Other car brands welcome the new rules
In response to pressure from car brands for more time, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has made it clear at a press conference in Brussels that the rules are being postponed.
In the future, companies will have the opportunity to meet the emission targets over a period of three years instead of the current year-to-year requirement.
Although the goals themselves remain unchanged, according to the government in Brussels, it gives the industry a much-needed break.
In the coming week, the EU is expected to publish additional regulations that an already pressured automotive industry must comply with.
Several leading figures in the automotive industry have already said that the EU needs to at least relax the requirement banning gasoline and diesel cars after 2035.
The EU cannot afford to allow anything but electric cars, says Volvo CEO
One of the most critical voices has been and is BMW's CEO, Oliver Zipse. He believes that the EU's plans are no longer "realistic" and that a time-limited ban is "a big mistake."
On the contrary, Volvo CEO Jim Rowan believes that it is crucial for Europe to maintain the ban.
He stresses that further postponements will harm Europe's long-term competitiveness.
"Europe cannot afford to see electrification fail or the transition be delayed," Jim Rowan told the newspaper Zeit .
According to Rowan, car manufacturers have had enough time to adapt to the upcoming regulations. He believes that car brands that fail to meet the targets will have to shut down.
The Volvo top management also believes that it is unfair to them that the EU is changing the rules now. In the boss's eyes, this will favor car brands that have not invested enough in electric cars.
"Europe must invest in the future, not the past. We cannot keep postponing the problem," Jim Rowan told Zeit.
It is worth noting that Volvo itself has adjusted its own ambitions to sell exclusively electric cars from 2030. The Geely brand recognizes that it cannot be done anyway.
In addition to discussions about the internal combustion engine, there is also focus on other areas within the automotive industry.
Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius, who is also chairman of the European car brands' interest group Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA), is positive about the upcoming changes from the EU.
– We welcome the faster steps in autonomous driving and the proposed flexibility of CO2 regulations for 2025, says Ola Källenius to Zeit.
