Europe's EV Sales Boom Is Reshaping the Fight Over the 2035 Combustion Engine Ban

A remarkable turnaround is underway in Brussels. Just months after the European Commission softened its flagship 2035 combustion-engine ban under pressure from automakers and several large member states, a surge in electric vehicle sales has shifted the political calculus. Seven EU countries have now reversed their stance, actively pushing back against any further weakening of CO₂ rules.

EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra described the EV uptake as "spectacular" and confirmed that the market data is directly changing minds .

The Numbers Driving the Shift

The sales data tells a clear story. The European EV market delivered 301,924 registrations in July 2025, a 40% year-on-year increase . From January to July 2025, total EV registrations reached 2.1 million units across Europe .

In a historic first, fully electric vehicle sales surpassed petrol car sales within the EU in December 2025 . This milestone capped a year in which battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales in the top five European markets grew by 25% year-on-year after 2024's downturn .

By January–April 2026, battery-electric cars held a 20% market share in Europe, up 4 percentage points from the same period in 2025 . Germany, the largest BEV market, saw electric car sales rise 43% in full-year 2025 .

Why Member States Changed Their Position

The accelerating EV uptake directly reduced political pressure to dilute emissions standards. Commissioner Hoekstra stated on 25 June 2026 that "some [member states] have indeed been very vocal about either delaying or softening the standards, but because of the spectacular uptake of electric vehicles they are now changing their mind" .

In June 2026, seven countries — Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden — formally rejected any softening of the bloc's car emissions rules. They argued in a joint document that new flexibilities for manufacturers would "slow the shift to electric vehicles and undercut the billions of euros already invested by Europe's car industry" .

This coalition represents a significant political realignment. Germany and Italy had previously pushed hard for the December 2025 softening , but the new pro-ambition bloc is now actively pushing to keep rules strict .

Hoekstra's Position: Market Momentum as a Policy Anchor

Commissioner Hoekstra has used the sales data to defend the regulatory framework. In January 2026, he told the European Parliament that the EV share had reached 20% and declared "transformation... is underway." He proposed incentives for small electric cars made in the EU and zero-emission mandates for corporate fleets .

In December 2025, Hoekstra defended the softened 2035 target as "a smart, wise compromise for climate and competitiveness" while insisting the overall direction toward decarbonisation remained intact . The revised target lowered the requirement from a 100% ban on combustion-engine vehicles to a 90% average tailpipe CO₂ reduction for new car fleets by 2035, allowing a limited share of combustion-engine vehicles to remain .

An earlier flexibility measure in April 2025 already let manufacturers comply with 2025–2027 targets using a three-year average rather than annual compliance .

Hoekstra now argues that the market momentum itself is the strongest argument for keeping the 2035 framework intact, even in its revised form, and that EV sales growth reduces the need for additional regulatory flexibility .

The Contested Policy Landscape

Despite the sales boom and shifting political winds, the policy picture remains split.

On one side, the pro-ambition coalition of seven countries argues that the accelerating EV market makes further weakening unnecessary and counterproductive .

On the other, European auto and supplier associations continue to press for relief. They maintain that the 2035 targets are "no longer feasible" and have called for further extensions . Germany and Italy, along with parts of the automotive industry, had pushed for the December 2025 softening .

Hoekstra's position now bridges both camps: keeping the 90% target intact while using market growth as evidence that the transition is achievable without additional dilution .

What This Means for the 2035 Target

The original rule (Regulation EU 2023/851) required a 100% CO₂ emission reduction for new passenger cars and vans from 2035 — effectively a ban on new internal combustion engine vehicles . The December 2025 Automotive Package softened this to a 90% average reduction target .

The rapid EV uptake is now reinforcing rather than undermining that softened policy. The question moving forward is whether continued sales growth will be enough to hold the line against further automaker pressure, or whether the pro-ambition coalition can turn its joint statement into binding legislation.

For now, the data has given Brussels a new argument: market reality, not just regulatory ambition, is driving the transition.