EU EV ROLL BACK Isn't much of a roll back and OCTOPUS ENERGY changes baffled me slightly.

🔄 Proposed changes to the 2035 combustion-engine ban

• The EU is expected to reverse the outright ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2035, according to senior political figures like Manfred Weber of the European People’s Party. Instead of a 100 % zero-emission requirement, the regulation would mandate a 90 % CO₂ reduction — allowing advanced plug-in hybrids and similar tech to remain on sale.
Reuters
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• Industry and stakeholders are warning against diluting the targets, arguing that weakening the 2035 goal would hamper electrification and competitiveness versus China.
Reuters

🪶 Not a rollback of the entire EV mandate, but a weakening

This means that:

The EU isn’t scrapping EV targets outright, but altering how stringent they are and what technologies count.

Instead of a strict, full ban on internal combustion engines (ICE) by 2035, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, range-extenders, or alternative fuels might be allowed longer under revised rules.
electrive.com

Some proposals reportedly include extending transitional registrations for plug-in hybrids until 2040, though details vary by source.
electrive.com

📊 Why this is happening

Several forces are pushing for change:

Automakers and governments in major car-making states like Germany, Italy, Poland, etc., have argued that the industry needs more time and “technological neutrality” to stay competitive and avoid job losses.
euronews

EV sales growth in Europe has been slower than expected, leading policymakers to seek more flexible pathways.
InsideEVs

The European Commission is preparing an “automotive package” intended to balance climate goals with industrial concerns — but it’s triggering intense debate over whether that amounts to rollback or just flexibility.

📌 What’s still intact

The broader goal of zero-emission vehicle uptake and CO₂ reduction remains central to EU climate strategy.

The formal legislative process (Commission proposal → Parliament + Council votes) isn’t complete yet, so nothing is legally final as of early December 2025.

#evnews #automotive #electriccarnews #octopusenergy