Mazda’s European CEO claims 2035 ICE ban is “a disgrace of the politicians”

“The corporate answer is that we’ll be ready for any legislation that will be in place,” Mazda’s European CEO Martijn ten Brink told TG in response to the 2035 ban on sales of new combustion-engined cars. 

“But I personally find it extremely difficult to get my head around. Not because I don’t like electric vehicles, but what I find a shame is that we have made a choice for technology, and usually the most innovation comes when you set a goal but you don’t tell engineers and developers how to get there.

“I have a problem with the fact that they’ve (the politicians) decided how to get there. And that is only electric. You’re really going to just discard everything else? Even the stuff that you don’t know exists yet? I think that is a disgrace of the politicians. That is not their job. Their job is to demand a zero-emission future, but how you get there should rely on entrepreneurship and creativity.”

He likens the discourse around USB C plugs in mobile phones. "Now that it’s been decided that we all have to use the USB C plug, essentially that’s the end of creativity around connectivity. Yes I’m happy that we won’t have the cable waste (it’ll clean up desk drawers), but what other ideas might people have come up with?

“The Japanese have also set carbon neutral targets, but they include certain biofuels and green hydrogen, and they are willing to look at things which are new but might not be quite there yet. 

“Here everybody stops investing in those areas because the legislation doesn’t allow it, and I think that’s a big mistake. I think selling only zero-emission vehicles by 2035 is fine, but that they have to be electric with batteries I think is a bit of a shame. Personal opinion.”

What do you reckon, folks?