Europe’s Car Bosses Tout EV Prowess While Warning Against Combustion-Engine Ban

European car executives are walking a fine line at this week’s Munich auto show: Touting how swell their new electric vehicles are, while on the other hand warning Brussels that they can’t possibly sell only EVs in ten years’ time.

Their message — however conflicting — is meant to pile pressure on the European Union to walk back a plan to phase out new combustion-engine cars by 2035. Top managers from Volkswagen AG, Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Stellantis NV on Monday spoke out against the ban as they grapple with a stagnant European car market, uneven demand for EVs and intensifying competition from Chinese manufacturers led by BYD Co.