German media: The EU's ban on gasoline cars will only benefit China
The "World" newspaper commented that the EU's ban on gasoline cars will lead to a large influx of Chinese electric vehicles into the European market and completely destroy Germany's automotive industry.
The EU regulation banning the sale of gasoline cars from 2035 was introduced two years ago, but this ban has now sparked intense debate in Germany, with increasing calls for its cancellation or weakening. The "World" newspaper published a commentary stating that in the related debate, an important fact seems to have been overlooked: the gasoline car ban will put Europeans in absolute dependence on China. The commentary, titled "Serious Consequences of the Gasoline Car Ban Are Comparable to Exiting Nuclear Power Generation," wrote:
"At present, the majority of computers, mobile phones, medical equipment and medicines are produced in China. In the automotive industry, specifically in the gasoline car industry, the US and Germany still maintain a temporary lead."
The trend towards transitioning to electric vehicles is changing the leading advantage of Germany and the US. China currently accounts for more than 60% of global electric vehicle production. Electric vehicles from China are low-priced, have excellent electronic devices, and their design is far more attractive than those of EU competitors. There is no doubt that companies such as Volkswagen and BMW missed the ideal opportunity to develop electric vehicle technology. However, the EU is now overstepping its bounds, helping these private automakers make up for their mistakes. It is said that the reason for the gasoline car ban by the political circle is to encourage automakers to work harder to develop green technologies."
The "World" newspaper commented that in the issue of new energy vehicles, China's example is the most representative. China has never issued a gasoline car ban, and although the share of new energy vehicles in new car sales has reached as high as 50%, more than half of them are hybrid vehicles.
"Whether to amend the EU's ban is now causing debate, and this debate is necessary. Because once the gasoline car ban takes effect, a flood of Chinese cars will occupy the European market. The German automotive industry will be in an irreversible situation, and if combined with parts suppliers, this will directly involve 3.2 million jobs. Unless our companies can produce better and cheaper than Chinese competitors, the downward trend will be difficult to reverse."
Short-term changes are also difficult to change: electric vehicles rely on rare earth elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium, which are key materials for high-performance permanent magnets in motors. 70% of the world's rare earths come from China.
From a geopolitical perspective, the serious consequences of banning gasoline cars are comparable to the decision to exit nuclear power generation. It was due to Germany's exit from nuclear energy that led to the embarrassing situation in 2022 when Putin launched a brutal invasion of Ukraine, and Germany's natural gas imports were dependent on Russia by 55%."
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844720251006986/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.