Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner has confirmed the FDP's no to a complete ban on new combustion vehicles in the EU from 2035: "It is our goal that new vehicles with combustion engines will still be registered in Germany after 2035," Lindner told the Funke media group . "However, these vehicles then have to run on climate-friendly eco-fuel."

Newly registered combustion vehicles would remain an exception after 2035. However, this technology will continue to play a major role worldwide, "the technological know-how must therefore be preserved in an export country like Germany".

"Unfortunately, the EU Commission has not taken any steps to seriously examine exceptions for combustion engines that only run on eco-fuel in its ban plans," complained Lindner. "It is also unlikely that the Commission will do in the next few days what it has not done for months."

Regardless of the resistance from the federal government, the ban on the registration of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 is to be voted on next Tuesday. Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) had criticized the fact that the EU Commission had not yet submitted a proposal on how vehicles fueled with climate-friendly fuels could be approved after 2035 - and had threatened Germany with a refusal.

In this case, the necessary majority for the project could tip over. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens), on the other hand, is urging Germany to agree.