Volkswagen plans to stop producing vehicles with conventional engines in Europe between 2033 and 2035, a member of the company's board of directors said. It plans to do the same in the United States and China shortly thereafter, as well as in South America and Africa.
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In an interview with Merkur.de published this weekend, Volkswagen sales director Klaus Zellmer outlined the company's plan to phase out internal combustion engines in various regions. Zellmer said the company's timetable for phasing out internal combustion technology was based on the different speeds of transformation in individual regions.
Zellmer explained that competitors selling cars in Europeface less complexity in terms of transformation due to clear political guidelines.
“We have set very clear goals and milestones. We will make our entire fleet CO2 neutral by 2050 at the latest,” said Zellmer. “In Europe we will exit the combustion engine business between 2033 and 2035, in the US and China a little later. In South America and Africa, due to the lack of political conditions and infrastructure, it will take a little longer.”
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In April, the European Union announced that it was increasing its carbon dioxide emissions reduction target from 40% to 55% by 2030 and aiming for net zero emissions by 2050.
Despite Volkswagen's plans to exit the combustion engine business, Zellmer told Merkur.de that the technology in question would be needed for a few more years. He added that the company would continue to invest in optimizing its engines, which include diesel. Zellmer said that diesel is a particular challenge, but that there were driving profiles for which diesel was still in high demand, such as customers who drive long distances.
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Regarding battery electric vehicles, Zellmer said Volkswagen aimed to increase their share of total sales to 70% by 2030 in Europe.
