The economic pillar cannot collapse! Skoda's production country, the Czech Republic, rejects the EU's fuel car ban timetable

As the European Union sets a timetable for a ban on the sale of fuel vehicles, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has announced that he will defend the traditional automobile manufacturing industry, the mainstay of his economy.

Recently, according to foreign media reports, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis publicly stated that he would not comply with the EU's proposal to achieve zero-emission vehicles by 2035: "We do not agree to ban the sale of fuel vehicles." The Czech Republic may discuss this issue when it takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2022.

Babis said that the climate targets set by the EU must be based on not destroying the Czech automotive industry, and he believed that the target was unreasonable.

Babis said that the Czech Republic is one of the countries with the highest per capita automobile production in the world. The automobile manufacturing industry is an important pillar of the Czech economy, accounting for 26% of the total industrial output value and more than 9% of the total GDP. Volkswagen's Skoda and other automobile brands are produced in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic currently has three automobile factories, namely Skoda, Hyundai and Toyota-Peugeot-Citroen. They have all launched at least some rechargeable or hybrid models, but only 10% of the Czech Republic's automobile production capacity is electric vehicles. The corresponding industrial upgrading and transformation is a huge challenge for the Czech Republic.

Babis said the Czech Republic will support infrastructure construction for electric vehicles but will not subsidize electric vehicle production.

It must be mentioned that the deadline for banning the sale of fuel vehicles after 2035 submitted by the European Commission is still a proposal, which still requires a long approval process and member states’ statements.

Some netizens said that although the Czech Republic is one of the countries with the highest per capita car production in the world, it is a pity that the Czech Republic is not the country with the most per capita car purchases. After the ban on fuel vehicles is implemented, if the Czech Republic cannot complete the transformation of electric vehicle production, it will face the risk of losing the market.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.