Now it is about the things that are being made: more and more companies, like the recently the Graz technology group AVL, are advised because of the failed automotive policy of the European Union in need. “If one bad news hunts the other, there is a fire on the roof. After the automotive peaks in January and March 2025 at the European Commission, nothing crucial happened. In 2024, 5,000 jobs were lost in Austria, 51,000. 2025 tightened in Germany, and the Commission is watching,” Jürgen Roth, President of Efuel Alliance Austria, is annoyed.
Politics now have the chance to prove that climate protection does not have to harm the business location. “This requires a rapid course correction and no further sliding on the long bench. You cannot sit out the problem, it is more on the game than just a technology question,” said Jürgen Roth. The simple solution: Several technologies allow CO2 emissions to reduce a total of faster, the electric car, which only slowly gets out on the market, is only one component of many.
E-car compulsory has failed-technology openness ensures climate goals and jobs
The European automotive industry cannot deny the will to follow the wishes of politics, only to produce electric cars. Dozens of models were brought onto the market with high investment effort. But the car buyers remained skeptical. Only every fifth new car, even less in the EU, is Reinectric. The reasons for this buying behavior are easy to understand. Politicians have even forced car manufacturers to give their American and Asian competitors money to sell more electric cars.
Automobile manufacturers and a large number of suppliers – Austria is one of the leading suppliers – now pull the emergency brake and say off the compulsion to operate. The top associations ACEA and Claa are calling for politics in one open letter urgently to allow several ways of climate protection.
“This is actually good news for climate protection. Not a technology, but a whole bundle of technologies drive climate protection ahead,” argues Jürgen Roth. “Technology bans act like stop boards compared to attractive innovations, they still take place, only elsewhere.”
“The risky undertaking, putting everything on one card has failed and has caused serious damage. The Commission takes the legislative gear levers far too late. The announcement in June 2024 followed from press statements, apart from press statements,” said Jürgen Roth.
Europe is already missing the connection again
While some in the EU dream of being able to take the rank of China in battery technology, the EU is currently failing to connect to the next technology jump: the development of advanced climate -neutral fuels. They are the key to achieving the climate goals 2040 and 2050, here a gigantic market for decades is being built, because 1.5 billion cars with combustion engine are on the world and there are also hundreds of millions of construction machinery, agricultural machinery, emergency vehicles and emergency power units that are operated with fossil diesel. “A lot of money was put in European battery productions and lost, since Europe is too expensive as a location and is dependent on China’s preliminary products,” emphasizes Jürgen Roth.
“The fact that the combustion engine is abandoned worldwide and has an expiry date belongs to the realm of myths, the opposite is the case,” Jürgen Roth correctly. “Asia will take the lead and Europe will take a competence out of our hands, which we owe the prosperity if Europe is not finally turning off the sleeves.”
Technology variety instead of one -way street
With Opel, the last big producer who wanted to switch his entire production to electric cars has now scratched the curve. Previously, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Skoda, the Stellantis Group and Porsche had to row back.
“The claims that the future of the car is electrical and the auto industry itself has made this decision, are simply factual. Rather, the future of the car is diverse,” clarifies the Alliance boss.
Last Exit
The compulsion to a technology has changed the balance of power on the automotive market to the disadvantage of Europe. The automotive industry sees the last chance to limit the damage on September 12, 2025 on September 12, 2025.
“It is about more than a technology question, it is about the EU’s promise of prosperity. The auto industry is too important to sacrifice it to an ideologically related misjudgment – at its core: car is evil,” argues expert Jürgen Roth. In surveys, the population always speaks out with an overwhelming majority (between 70-90%) against the ban on combustion. The task of politics is to make Valide offers, and it is not decided to reveal a technology to people.
Save the Date: eFuel-Kongress Wien 2025
On September 25 and 26, 2025, the third Efuel Congress will take place in Vienna. Registration required: www.ekkon.at