Oliver Zipse, CEO of BMW, has once again expressed his opposition to the gradual elimination of combustion engines planned by the European Union (EU) by 2035, stating that it was a “great mistake,” and thus calling for a change in emission measures.
In an interview with “Politico,” published this Friday, Zipse said that setting a fixed date for the transition risks ignoring emissions across the entire value chain, including battery production and fuel supply.
The CEO of BMW reiterated that the EU should allow climate-friendly fuels after 2035, emphasizing that fuel producers should also be held accountable.
“We are not doing ourselves any favors by setting arbitrary future dates to which all industries will have to adapt,” Zipse said, “The absurdity of the current rules is that fuel manufacturers – Shell and BP – have no targets at all.”
Despite the challenges faced by the automotive sector, such as higher tariffs, weaker demand, and strong Chinese competition, Oliver Zipse made it clear that BMW is still on track to sell more than 2.5 million vehicles in 2025. “We are ahead of last year’s numbers in August,” said Oliver Zipse, noting the sales particularly in Europe.
