Germany: Merz pledges to resist 2035 EU electric car switch

Deutsche Welle (DW)CenterEN 4 min read 100% complete by Mark Hallam with dpa, ReutersOctober 25, 2025 at 04:26 PM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to oppose the European Union's plan to phase out new internal combustion engine cars by 2035, aiming for a softer transition. This stance was announced at a summit with German political leaders and automotive industry representatives in Berlin on October 9, 2025. Deputy Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, from Merz’s coalition partner the Social Democrats, also indicated support for altering these goals, particularly concerning plug-in hybrids and innovative fuel mixtures. Both leaders emphasized plans to continue and enhance incentives for electric car buyers, including road tax exemptions and new schemes targeting lower-income consumers. Germany is facing challenges in supporting its automotive industry amid increased competition from China and declining overall demand for cars.

Key Topics & Entities

Friedrich Merz ×4100% EU ×2100% Germany ×3100%

Keywords

electric cars 90% internal combustion engine 85% car industry 80% eu regulations 75% 2035 deadline 70% incentives for electric cars 65% german chancellor friedrich merz 60% environmental activists 55% plugin hybrids 50% competition from china 45%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

Deutsche Welle (DW)

Political Lean

Center (-0.10)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Germany

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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electric cars internal combustion engine car industry eu regulations 2035 deadline incentives for electric cars german chancellor friedrich merz environmental activists plugin hybrids competition from china

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