BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - According to a recent survey, around two-thirds of Germans consider the European Union's plans to phase out combustion engines to be misguided. In the ARD "Deutschlandtrend" poll, 67 percent of respondents said they believe it is wrong for the EU to prohibit the registration of new vehicles with combustion engines starting in 2035. This marks a five-percentage-point increase compared to January. Just over one in four (28 percent) support the proposed plans.
The survey reveals clear differences among party supporters: Followers of the AfD (94 percent) and the conservative Union parties (75 percent) are predominantly critical of the 2035 combustion engine ban. In contrast, supporters of the Greens (77 percent) and the Left party (61 percent) largely approve of the measure. Among SPD supporters, 54 percent oppose the ban while 39 percent are in favor.
The EU has decided that, from 2035 onwards, new cars must not emit climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) during operation. This would effectively mean that new vehicles with combustion engines could no longer be registered. The goal is to reduce emissions in the transport sector. Following pressure from industry and member states, the EU Commission has announced plans to review the combustion engine ban regulation. Germany's conservative-social democrat coalition intends to push for relaxations of the planned ban on new combustion engine cars at the EU level.
For the ARD "Deutschlandtrend," 1,306 eligible voters aged 18 and over in Germany were randomly surveyed online or by telephone between December 1 and 3. The poll, conducted by infratest dimap, is considered representative. The margin of error is estimated at two to three percentage points./mkk/DP/zb
