Germany’s Merz pledges to oppose EU’s 2035 ICE ban

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to oppose the EU's plan to ban sales of new combustion engine (ICE) vehicles from 2035, telling automotive executives on 9 October that his government lacks a unified position on the regulation. Merz met representatives from domestic giants Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz as Das Auto continues to grapple with Chinese competition, US tariffs and declining demand across Europe.