SAPPORO, Japan -- The European Union's recent decision to continue allowing sales of some cars with combustion engines beyond 2035 will encourage "research and innovation" in the automobile sector, the bloc's energy chief said in an interview on Saturday.
That comes after environmental groups sharply criticized EU nations in March for agreeing on a law that had initially been expected to ban sales of all cars with combustion engines in the region from 2035, but ended up exempting vehicles that run on so-called e-fuels -- synthetic fuels which are considered carbon neutral. The reined-in law came amid a strong push from Germany, home to some of the world's leading auto brands.
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