--- title: "Mercedes CEO Says Europe’s Gas-Powered Car Sales Ban in 2035 ‘No Longer Feasible:’ TDS" description: "Good morning and welcome to *The Downshift*, or *TDS* for short." date: "2025-08-28" modified: "2025-08-28" authors: - name: "Joel Feder" job_title: "Director of Content and Product" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/joel-feder" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/mercedes-ceo-says-europes-gas-powered-car-sales-ban-in-2035-no-longer-feasible-tds" categories: - "News" - "The Downshift" --- # Mercedes CEO Says Europe’s Gas-Powered Car Sales Ban in 2035 ‘No Longer Feasible:’ TDS ![Mercedes-Benz AMG S63 S E Performance]() Good morning and welcome to *The Downshift*, or *TDS* for short. *TDS* is light, tight, and right. Short on words and heavy on news, it gathers all the latest automotive stories bubbling around the globe in one place. Stories are summarized in a single sentence with a link provided to go deeper. Feedback on *TDS* formatting and content is both welcomed and encouraged via either the comments below or by emailing tips@thedrive.com. Alright, the first cup of coffee is gone here, so let's get into it. 🚘 What I’m driving: Back home from driving the 2025 Ford Mustang GTD and am sliding back behind the wheel of the 2025 Chevrolet Suburban High Country, which is quite the change from the 815-horsepower Mustang. 📉 Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kaellenius [wrote an open letter]() to the President of the European Commission noting the gas-engine ban for new car sales in Europe set for 2035 is "simply no longer feasible," and "the current C02 reduction path in road transport must be recalibrated" citing a "lack of a holistic and pragmatic policy plan" and an extensive list of how the current regulatory and business environment "fails to provide the conditions to enable the transition." 🏷️ Ineos [lowered U.S. prices]() after a three-month period of price hikes on its Grenadier SUV, which now costs $72,600 marking a 9.8% price cut. 🪫 Porsche [shifted its plans]() and instead of mass producing its own batteries will now simply focus on research and development of high-performance battery cells due to "challenging conditions." 🔋 BMW CEO Oliver Zipse said automakers, including his own company, [cannot afford mistakes]() as "there will be a selection process in our industry," and the comments come as the BMW prepares to overhaul its EV portfolio. ⛓️‍💥 Ford [issued a stop-sale and recall for 355,656 F-Series pickup trucks]() including some 2025 and 2026 Super Duty and F-150 pickups due to a digital gauge cluster issue that might prevent the cluster from powering on when the truck is started. 🏎️ The [RML GT Hypercar debuted]() as a highly modified Porsche with 907 horsepower based on the 992.1-gen 911 Turbo S with a design inspired by the Le Mans-winning Porsche GT1 from 1998. *Have feedback on the formatting of TDS? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Overseeing what you see, read, touch, hear, and interact with from the vast lakes of Minnesota, Joel Feder shapes how The Drive looks and operates as the head of content and product initiatives. On a daily basis, Joel leads the newsroom and editorial staff playing point on both short-term coverage and long-term strategic plans. His mission is to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media by helping the team execute original reporting, breaking news, and exclusive opportunities. Regarded as an industry insider and recognized by colleagues, fellow journalists, and manufacturers as a point-person and leader in the industry, Joel owns and runs the largest automotive professionals group on Facebook in an effort to serve and help others. Joel serves as a juror for the World Car Awards. In addition, he is the board chair and chair of the governance and nominating committee for Move Forward MN, a local non-profit that helps at-risk youth with barrier-free mental health and housing services. While you’re reading this he’s either on his computer or iPhone chasing the latest news or drafting a story. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() [Bluesky]() [Email]()