Carmakers to push EU for 2035 combustion-engine ban rethink | Business

BRUSSELS, Belgium, Sept 12, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Europe's biggest carmakers are to hold talks with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday as the industry pressures the bloc to revise plans to end combustion-engine vehicle sales by 2035. Suffering from fierce Chinese competition and a stuttering transition towards electric vehicles (EVs), embattled European automakers are pushing for Brussels to reconsider its ambitious climate goals. "The regulation that is applicable to us is too rigid to produce success, and really we believe must be adapted to reality," said Sigrid de Vries, director of the European auto lobby ACEA. "We need to be more pragmatic." Friday's meeting in Brussels is the third under an EU initiative launched in January to help...