The EU is planning to relax its 2035 ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars, a top European parliament leader said. Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s party group, told Bild that the full technology ban on combustion engines is "off the table." This means that all current engines made in Germany can continue to be sold. The original plan, made two years ago, required all new cars from 2035 to have zero CO2 emissions, banning hybrids and petrol/diesel cars. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and many car companies pushed for this change to allow hybrids to stay longer. Some green politicians and carmakers like Volvo and Polestar oppose the change, fearing it will help Chinese competitors. Weber stressed the change protects thousands of European auto jobs and signals support for powerful plug-in hybrids that can drive 600km or more with help from combustion engines. Instead of a 100% CO2 reduction by 2035, there will now be a 90% reduction required for new car fleet targets. The European Commission said the deadline is still under discussion, with calls for more flexibility. Major carmakers like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz support dropping the full ban, citing slow electric vehicle sales. The EU also plans incentives for small "made in Europe" EVs to compete with Chinese imports. Countries like Norway, with strong EV tax breaks and toll reductions, already lead in electric car sales, with over 90% of new cars in 2025 being electric. Southern European countries lag behind, with Italy at only 12% EV sales.