Volkswagen dubs e-fuels as unnecessary as ICE will see end of life by 2035

Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schafer believes the buzz around the e-fuels is an unnecessary one, as he is sure that the internal combustion engines will see their end of life by 2035, reports Automotive News. His comment comes at a time when the European Union has been mulling the idea of allowing e-fuel-powered cars to be sold and to ply in the EU countries after 2035, when the conventional petrol and diesel-powered new vehicles will be banned from selling in the continent.

The European Union plans on effectively banning the sales of new ICE vehicles in the continent from 2035. However, as the final vote on the issue neared, Germany and Italy objected to the proposal. They proposed that e-fuel-powered vehicles should be allowed on the roads alongside pure electric vehicles from the middle of the next decade. This strategy would allow the carmakers to sell internal combustion engine-powered vehicles in the continent after 2035, subject to those cars' compliance with the e-fuel.

Interestingly, when it comes to e-fuel, Volkswagen Group's luxury high-performance car brand Porsche is one of the major players in the segment. Considering that Volkswagen CEO's comment comes as a surprise. “This discussion around e-fuels is widely misunderstood. They have a role to play in existing fleets but won't replace EVs. That's complete nonsense. Look at the physics of making e-fuels. We don't have enough energy as it is, so why waste it on e-fuels?" he said. Schafer also said that the role of the ICE at Volkswagen is now simply to make money for the transition to EVs.

Volkswagen's boss is also certain that the automaker's upcoming small and affordable electric cars will be profitable. These Volkswagen EVs are expected to be priced below $25,000. Schafer said that a smaller model than the ID.2all concept-driven car is slated to launch by 2026 or 2027, which would be priced at less than $22,000.