It may have ducked a bit under the radar, especially here in Ireland, that Germany has thrown a spanner in the works of EU plans to ban the sale of internal combustion engine cars by 2035.

Backed by Italy, Poland and Bulgaria, Germany has blocked the final approval of a law that would mandate the removal of all internal combustion engines in favour of only zero-emission cars and vans being sold in the EU from 2035.

In a last-minute move, the Berlin Government expressed concern that the new rules didn’t take account of developments being made in synthetic, or e-fuels, which use a traditional combustion engine and have zero emission potential.

These alternatives and their use in regular engines are seen as a manufacturing process that extracts CO2 from the atmosphere.

The move by Germany has delayed the final vote on the regulations, and EU and German officials are now in talks to find a suitable compromise.

Meanwhile, also in Germany, things may be about to change significantly as BMW has just unveiled its BMW iX5, their first hydrogen-powered car. It is a move that will be seen as another alternative when it comes to zero-emissions power and the first vehicles in a pilot fleet that will go into service this year.

A fleet of 100 vehicles will be employed internationally for trial purposes for various target groups. This will be the first chance for people not involved in the development process to gain a direct impression of what the BMW iX5 Hydrogen has to offer.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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