Much of life is about compromise.
You take the rough with the smooth throughout – school, marriage, parenting or work – and being diplomatic goes a long way.
As 2026 begins, there are green shoots of common sense – compromise – finally descending on EV world.
Let me explain.
Despite best efforts of over-zealous net zero-chasing politicians, the world was not and still is not ready for the enforcement of electric-only car shopping.
READ MORE: Opinion: Why I’ll never buy an EV motorcycle.
READ MORE: European U-turn on 2035 combustion ban! But it’s not all good news for petrol die-hards.
“You can’t bully buyers into cars they don’t want!” goes the social media cry. And, as it transpires, those keyboard warriors have been proved right.
Meanwhile, poor old legacy car brands have been put through the wringer.
They were given little choice but to invest to the tune of billions in full electric platforms and powertrains, all the while pulling the plug on internal combustion development.
From Ford to General Motors, Mercedes-Benz to Volkswagen Group, car giants’ profit plunges were headline fodder throughout 2025.
Not to mention threats of multi-billion-dollar/euro penalties for manufacturers not selling enough “clean” vehicles. Newbie Chinese brands merrily feasted on the carnage.
Cue factory shutdowns, thousands losing their jobs and threats of manufacturing exiting countries.
“Oops!” say the politicians. “Tell you what, how about we move the goalposts again?”
Petrol and diesel ban shelved in Europe
Ignoring Trump’s USA circus (good luck predicting any policy there), the EU has watered down plans for killing off new petrol and diesel cars by 2035.
All new vehicles sold were supposed to be “zero emission” by then, but it’s funny what a collapsing industry and angry auto bosses banging desks can do to make lawmakers breathe in a healthy dose of reality.
Which brings us back to the importance of compromise.
As it now stands, the European Commission’s revised plan is for 90 per cent of new cars to be zero emission by 2035. This will remain a massive challenge for established car makers, but at least now there’s sensible wriggle room.
If ten per cent of new cars are still allowed to burn fossil fuels, just think of the collective sigh of relief from brands including Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and Lotus.
Not only them. Massive players like BMW, Merc, VW, Toyota and Ford can continue making the cars and engines that forged their way into enthusiasts’ hearts.
Even if you’re the most ardent EV preacher, do you really want to live in a world with no combustion Porsche 911? Ford Mustang? VW Golf GTI? Mazda MX-5?
I know I don’t.
But then I’ve always embraced compromise. Which is why I want the majority of vehicles to be EVs in the next decade: they are excellent solutions for clean urban travel.
Let sports and racing cars remain petrol drinkers
There must be some concessions.
It really shouldn’t be – now or in the distant future – completely one-way electric traffic.
As I’ve previously argued, let’s allow and enjoy internal combustion in sports cars, racing cars and motorcycles, and potentially everywhere motoring enthusiasts inhabit.
Otherwise you’re simply pissing off a very vocal and passionate crowd while plunging many car (and bike) makers into financial crisis and potential collapse.
Do you really think Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Lotus or even Porsche and Ferrari will remain relevant as EV-only carmakers in 20 years’ time? It really could be the death of them, as peverse as that may seem.
Look to Porsche’s sales and profit plunges during 2025. Zooming in on Australia, moving to an electric-only Macan was a significant contributor in a 25 per cent overall drop in annual sales.
For those who won’t embrace the idea of a few low-volume cars remaining combustion in the near future, surely climate neutral synthetic e-fuels to power these petrol-sucking nasties would soften your stance?
If, as the quote goes, all war represents a failure of diplomacy, much motoring world chaos can be and must be avoided with a few concessions.
If we picture a future where 90 per cent of vehicles clogging our town and city streets are EVs – hopefully recharged using renewable energy – can’t we mark that down as a mighty win for the greater good?
And if that means tech bros get to keep their V10 supercars, track day enthusiasts their BMW M3s and beardy folk their obnoxiously noisy Harleys, isn’t that probably okay?
It works for me.
