DOUAI, France — The EU’s vision of ending sales of greenhouse-gas-spewing cars by 2035 is under fire.
The idea was a key priority of the previous European Commission, which was dedicated to the fight against climate change. But war, a populist backlash, economic stagnation and a car industry hemorrhaging red ink are forcing Brussels to backtrack.
Europe’s automakers scored a massive political win this week when Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gave in to their pleas for leniency on emission targets that went into force this year and for an earlier review of the 2035 legislation as part of her plan to rescue the troubled car industry.
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Buoyed by that success, automakers and their political backers want more.
