Carmakers around the world have started setting timetables to phase out combustion engines in the face of increasingly strict anti-pollution standards put in place to fight climate change, with Volkswagen's (VW) electric push also following lingering reputational harm from the "dieselgate" scandal. "In Europe, we will leave the combustion engine vehicle market between 2033 and 2035," he said in an interview published online on Sunday. Audi, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, announced last week it would launch only fully electric vehicles from 2026 and halt manufacturing cars with internal combustion engines by 2033. The European Union will unveil tougher 2030 CO2 emissions targets and regulatory proposals on July 14, which are expected to force carmakers to speed up the transition to electric cars. Volkswagen's electric push has additionally been accelerated by its "dieselgate" scandal, which rocked Germany's car industry and cost the company dearly in both cash and reputational harm.

Source: Manila Times June 28, 2021 16:52 UTC