STORY: EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is pushing for a quick agreement on the question of the future of the combustion engine after 2035. She is in favor of the principle of openness to technology, said von der Leyen on Sunday at the sidelines of the federal government’s cabinet meeting in Meseberg. “We are in a constructive dialogue there. I want to make it very clear once again: Full support for the principle of openness to technology is important. But that must always be in balance with our climate policy goals, which we have all agreed on . And that’s exactly the balance we need to work out.” “We agree on this issue, and that is why what we are currently discussing with the European Commission is not about the specific content of the regulation that has been found, but about how something that we in the government agree on and also with of the Commission can be realized. Namely: What about the perspective of vehicles that exclusively relate to e-fuels after 2035? So it’s not about asking, but the question: How are things going?” The background is the resistance of the FDP to agreeing to an end to combustion engines from 2035 at EU level. A vote among the 27 EU governments had to be postponed because Germany had not agreed. According to Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), the proposal promised by the EU Commission on how climate-friendly fuels – so-called e-fuels – could be used in combustion engines after 2035, and not just in small quantities, is still missing. Scholz (SPD) did not take a position in Meseberg in the dispute between the Greens and the FDP, but said: “Wissing is a very, very good transport minister.” Wissing really wants to ensure that 15 million electric cars are driving on German roads by 2030 and that the charging network infrastructure is expanded. Von der Leyen called for a quick solution to the debate because it is about planning security for the automotive industry. Wissing advocated openness to technology and pointed out that there could be a data protection problem if everyone only drove Chinese e-cars in the future. According to information from government circles, it was not expected that the dispute would be resolved within the coalition in Meseberg.