In an interview with the German newspaper Bild in December 2025, he stated that plans for 2035 were “out of the question.”
He also claimed that “there will be no 100% target from 2040 onwards”. Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius has also questioned the feasibility of the proposed emissions compensation measures. Speaking in March 2026, he said: “I know the green steel market and I know how unrealistic these expectations are”. The carmaker has warned that overly demanding regulations could affect demand for new vehicles and create difficulties for manufacturers trying to reconcile environmental targets with affordable prices for consumers. Any changes to the EU rules for 2035 would have significant consequences for the European car industry, which has invested heavily in the production of electric vehicles.
However, the reported agreement would not mean an unrestricted return to petrol and diesel cars, as manufacturers would still have to meet significant emissions reduction targets. The proposals would also have to go through the EU legislative process before coming into force. For drivers, the potential changes could mean a wider choice of engine types even after 2035, although the final rules have yet to be confirmed.