Minister Fights Back

EU bombshell: Quota for electric cars set to take effect in 2028

In the debate over internal combustion engines, Austria is pushing back against a new mandate from Brussels.(Bild: Patrick Daxenbichler - stock.ado)

Is a “backdoor ban on internal combustion engines” on the way? The EU Commission wants to impose fixed quotas on member states for newly registered company cars as early as 2028. In Austria, this quota is set to be 58 percent—but European Affairs Minister Claudia Bauer (ÖVP) is already hitting the brakes.

Actually, the ban on internal combustion engines starting in 2035—as reported—seemed to be off the table already. However, new plans from the European Commission are fueling fresh doubts. As part of the “Clean Corporate Vehicles Regulation,” the Commission aims to impose fixed electric vehicle quotas for newly registered company cars via regulation. After all, 60 percent of all newly registered passenger cars in Europe are currently company vehicles. While this is intended to apply only to “large companies” with more than 250 employees, critics still see it as a “backdoor ban on internal combustion engines.”

Particularly high targets for Austria
As research by “Krone” revealed, the regulation stipulates that, starting in 2028, 58 percent of all new company cars in Austria must be zero-emission, i.e., electric. Starting in 2035—the year the combustion engine ban was supposed to take effect—the quota is set to reach 95 percent. According to this initial proposal, Austria would have the highest targets alongside Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Von der Leyen is working on a “backdoor ban on internal combustion engines.” Minister Bauer is fighting back.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Roland Schlager, APA, picturesdesk.com, Imre Antal, Omar Havana)

Why? The Commission does not set the same quota for all countries, but rather scales the targets according to how “economically strong” a member state is. Countries with higher GDP per capita are assigned higher targets. Because Austria is among the economically stronger countries, the Commission believes Austria can handle higher transition quotas for corporate fleets.

Our goal must be to bring citizens along in the fight against climate change, not to scare them away!

Europaministerin Claudia Bauer

It remains to be seen whether the Commission can push the plans through. European Affairs Minister Claudia Bauer (ÖVP) is, as she was with the plan to increase the number of new EU officials, certainly hitting the brakes: “A transition to e-mobility will only succeed if it is feasible for people and businesses in their daily lives. Small businesses, tradespeople, care providers, and delivery services in particular need vehicles they can rely on. New quotas from Brussels are of little help if charging infrastructure, affordable electricity, and practical framework conditions are lacking. Europe should make everyday life easier, not create new hurdles for those who work hard every day.”