Europe's 2035 deadline for combustion engines has been widely reported as dead, revived, scrapped and restored, often in the same week. On 5 August 2026, EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra restated the Commission's position in a written answer, which is a good moment to separate what has actually been decided from what has not.
What changed, and when
In March 2023 the EU adopted a requirement that new cars sold from 2035 produce 100% less CO2 than the 2021 baseline — in practice, a ban on new combustion cars. In December 2025, after sustained pressure from the automotive industry, the Commission proposed amending that figure to 90%.
The remaining 10% does not become a free allowance. It has to be earned through two specific flexibilities:
- Up to 7% of the target can be met using low-carbon steel produced inside the EU.
- Up to 3% can be met through verified emissions savings from e-fuels and biofuels actually placed on the market.
Hoekstra's August answer framed the package as delivering "increased flexibility and strengthened technological neutrality" — the Commission's standing language for the change, not a new development.
Old rule versus proposal
| Adopted 2023 law | Commission proposal (Dec 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| CO2 cut for new cars from 2035 | 100% | 90% |
| Plug-in hybrids, mild hybrids, range extenders | Not permitted as new sales | Permitted |
| Low-carbon EU steel flexibility | None | Up to 7% of target |
| E-fuel and biofuel flexibility | Narrow e-fuel carve-out | Up to 3% of target |
| Legal status today | In force | Proposal, not yet adopted |
The part most coverage skips
The bottom row is the one that matters. The 90% target is a Commission proposal. It requires approval from both the European Parliament and the member states in Council before it changes anything, and those negotiations began under the Cypriot Presidency in January 2026. They are not finished.
Until they conclude, the 100% requirement adopted in 2023 remains the law on the books. Reporting that the ban has been "scrapped" describes an intention, not a legal fact, and the final text can move in either direction — Parliament has previously hardened Commission proposals as well as softened them.
A related figure worth knowing, because it is frequently confused with the above: the EU's Renewable Energy Directive sets a binding target of 5.5% advanced biofuels by 2030. That is a fuel-supply obligation on fuel suppliers, separate from the vehicle CO2 standard.
What it means for European EV buyers
Very little in the short term, and that is the honest answer. Nothing in the proposal touches the CO2 targets running between now and 2030, which are what actually drive manufacturer model plans, discounting behaviour and EV availability over any ownership period you are currently planning.
The medium-term effect is on resale confidence rather than purchase price. A 2035 date that permits plug-in hybrids and range extenders removes the cliff edge that made some buyers assume combustion residuals would collapse on a fixed schedule. If you were buying an EV specifically because you expected petrol cars to become unsellable in 2035, that assumption is now weaker.
What has not changed is the direction. A 90% cut is still a 90% cut, and no manufacturer is building a 2035 product plan around the 10%.