this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2025

237 points (98.8% liked)

Buy European

9886 readers

728 users here now

Overview:

The community to discuss buying European goods and services.

Matrix Chat of this community

Rules:

Be kind to each other, and argue in good faith. No direct insults nor disrespectful and condescending comments.
Do not use this community to promote Nationalism/Euronationalism. This community is for discussing European products/services and news related to that. For other topics the following might be of interest:
Include a disclaimer at the bottom of the post if you're affiliated with the recommendation.
No russian suggestions.

Feddit.uk's instance rules apply:

No racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia or xenophobia.
No incitement of violence or promotion of violent ideologies.
No harassment, dogpiling or doxxing of other users.
Do not share intentionally false or misleading information.
Do not spam or abuse network features.
Alt accounts are permitted, but all accounts must list each other in their bios.
No generative AI content.

Useful Websites

General BuyEuropean product database: https://buy-european.net/ (relevant post with background info)
Switching your tech to European TLDR: https://better-tech.eu/tldr/ (relevant post)
Buy European meta website with useful links: https://gohug.eu/ (relevant post)

Benefits of Buying Local:

local investment, job creation, innovation, increased competition, more redundancy.

European Instances

Lemmy:

Basque Country: https://lemmy.eus/
🇧🇪 Belgium: https://0d.gs/
🇧🇬 Bulgaria: https://feddit.bg/
Catalonia: https://lemmy.cat/
🇨🇿Czech Republic https://lemmings.world/
🇩🇰 Denmark, including Greenland (for now): https://feddit.dk/
🇪🇺 Europe: https://europe.pub/
🇫🇷🇧🇪🇨🇭 France, Belgium, Switzerland: https://jlai.lu/
🇩🇪🇦🇹🇨🇭🇱🇮 Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein: https://feddit.org/
🇫🇮 Finland: https://sopuli.xyz/ & https://suppo.fi/
🇮🇹 Italy: https://feddit.it/
🇱🇹 Lithuania: https://group.lt/
🇱🇺 Luxembourg https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/
🇳🇱 Netherlands: https://feddit.nl/
🇵🇱 Poland: https://fedit.pl/ & https://szmer.info/
🇵🇹 Portugal: https://lemmy.pt/
🇸🇮 Slovenia: https://gregtech.eu/
🇸🇪 Sweden: https://feddit.nu/
🇹🇷 Turkey: https://lemmy.com.tr/
🇬🇧 UK: https://feddit.uk/

Friendica:

🇦🇹 Austria: https://friendica.io/
🇮🇹 Italy: https://poliverso.org/
🇩🇪 Germany: https://piratenpartei.social/ & https://anonsys.net/
🇫🇷 Significant French speaking userbase: https://social.trom.tf/
🇵🇱 Poland: soc.citizen4.eu

Matrix:

🇬🇧 UK: matrix.org & glasgow.social
🇫🇷 France: tendomium & imagisphe.re & hadoly.fr
🇩🇪 Germany: tchncs.de, catgirl.cloud, pub.solar, yatrix.org, digitalprivacy.diy, oblak.be, nope.chat, hot-chilli.im, synod.im & rollenspiel.chat
🇳🇱 Netherlands: bark.lgbt
🇦🇹 Austria: gemeinsam.jetzt & private.coffee
🇫🇮 Finland: pikaviestin.fi & chat.blahaj.zone

Related Communities:

Buy Local:

Continents:

European:

Buying and Selling:

!flohmarkt@lemmy.ca

Boycott:

Countries:

Companies:

Stop Publisher Kill Switch in Games Practice:

Banner credits: BYTEAlliance

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

237

‘The Chinese will not pause’: Volvo and Polestar bosses urge EU to stick to 2035 petrol car ban (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 2 months ago by Sunshine@piefed.ca to c/buyeuropean@feddit.uk

42 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Exclusive: Swedish carmakers push to retain target as Germany lobbies to help its own industry by softening cutoff date

all 43 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] DmMacniel@feddit.org 73 points 2 months ago

It's just insanity. This flip floping around doesn't help the automobile industries at all, the switch will come and instead of preparing for it they instead invest time and money to bribe politicians uh I mean lobbying.

[–] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 26 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Both Volvo and Polestar are Chinese as far as ownership is concerned.

[–] RidderSport@feddit.org 16 points 2 months ago (2 children)

And both are mostly EV already, Polestar fully. I mean they're right but not really objective

[–] Pringles@sopuli.xyz 16 points 2 months ago

It's not only Geely owned manufacturers saying this though. The ceo of Stellantis said the exact same thing a week ago. Companies that did their homework will make the deadline easily, whereas the laggards will suffer.

And then you have Volkswagen, who went full EV, screwed it up by half-assing it, backpedalled under shareholder pressure and is now at the forefront of this lobbying.

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Is it necessary to be "objective" in this case?

It's not like the ICE manufacturing companies are any more objective.

Sometimes there's just a right and wrong, and we don't need 50/50 objectivity to see what's what.

[–] RidderSport@feddit.org 1 points 2 months ago

No objectivity, if there even is any party actually objective in this matter, is not necessary, I just wanted to point that put since I presumed that many might not now Polestar in general nor what the model lineup of both companies looks like

[–] murvel@feddit.nu 3 points 2 months ago

Volvo and Polestar are Swedish companies. Once a time Volvo was owned by Ford. The company was as Swedish with an American owner as with a Chinese owner.

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 22 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Yes! We should stick to it! Its the german car industries fault for not keeping up. Not our problem! We shouldnt pay the price for it!

[–] deHaga@feddit.uk 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Volvo cars and Polestar are both Chinese majority owned lol

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I didnt say we should buy them. Obviousely we need to make our own!

[–] deHaga@feddit.uk 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

They are made in Europe, it's just ironic that Volvo are owned by Geely, so even if you buy a euro made car, it still benefits China. They're not stupid lol

[–] Alchalide@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago

Aah yes and the German car manufacturers get the same amount of subsidies from the government as the Chinese ones do?

[–] Hirom@beehaw.org 12 points 2 months ago

Yes, please race to see which country electrify and transition away from fossiel fuel the fastest.

[–] Don_alForno@feddit.org 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Dear Swedes, please save us.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 16 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Dear Chinese*

Volvo and Polestar are owned by the Chinese.

[–] Don_alForno@feddit.org 8 points 2 months ago (2 children)

The article is explicitly about the company CEO's objections to the change of course in Brussels. Neither of them are Chinese.

Anyhow, if it's the Chinese that save us from shooting ourselves in the foot, that's fine too.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 6 points 2 months ago

Okay so I read it too now and you're right in that it's the Swedes calling for the EU to be sensible, but it's still the Chinese saving us from ICEs essentially - because they get to give Volvo (and Polestar) directions and besides some of the newer models are shared platforms with their other makes too.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Ah well, I can't read the article, I don't have a Guardian subscription.

[–] Don_alForno@feddit.org 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Huh. I don't either but can read it just fine.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I don't accept peronalised advertising or cookies anywhere.

[–] OxiZero@feddit.uk 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Use reader mode, the popup magically disappears.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 6 points 2 months ago

Oh, thanks! Thought everyone had fixed that already.

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone -1 points 2 months ago

I would rather see the Union succum than to see it a vassal of china

[+] 0x0@lemmy.zip -21 points 2 months ago (2 children)

So glad that EU governments will offer an EV to anyone who can't afford but needs a car by 2035.

[–] Tobberone@slrpnk.net 19 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

It's banning new sales. Not pre-existing cars. Besides, used BEV prices are coming down too with 6 year old cars just coming down below 10k€. That's kinda important, as 2020 saw a big uptick in number of available models and cars sold.

So given that, why aren't you asking for a beat* up ICE-car today for anyone that can't afford one but needs one today?

And if you really need a car, you probably drive quite a bit and if so, you really should look at EVs anyways since the running costs are a good deal lower.

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Its banning production and sales of new fossile fule cars. Not banning the cars themself

[+] 0x0@lemmy.zip -10 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Not banning the cars themself

Except for banning them in specific areas and raising taxes and insurance on them, sure, it's not banning the sale of new (and used?) ICEs... just screwing over whomever wants/needs to keep them and would rather avoid contributing to a landfill.

Not to mention most new cars, regardless of drivetrain, are spyware computers on wheels with built-in obsolescence.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

But that's nothing new, Germany banned old diesels and very old petrol cars from cities long ago.

Edit to explain why I, a petrolhead, am not against that move: Good transit eliminates like 90% of the NEED for city driving. The other 10% can be handled by compliant cars, whether they be rentals or owned by the people/companies using them.

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

ts not a question of if but of how and cost effort worth

And the people who had those cars?
I don't get the "it's nothing new so it's ok" argument though.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

And the people who had those cars?

Can park them at the edge of the city and take a train or bus.

If they live in the city, they can just take a train or bus and don't need to own a car if they can't afford to.

There's still lots of these cars for sale in Germany. The fact that they haven't all been exported to countries without such restrictions already, means they've been used in the meantime, since the restrictions have been in place a long time and a car that sits for too long is going to have a LOT of issues.

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

If they don't need a car that may make sense.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 months ago

You can rent a car or a van with minute and kilometer pricing from several different apps these days if no train or bus takes you where you need to go, or you need to move something that you can't reasonably carry. If you need to get to the city first - well you can still drive your old car to the city limit. Or have an ebike to take to the nearest train station.

Plus any kinda 2035 ban, you have 10 years to plan for. There's going to be electric cars that are not even built yet that will be pretty cheap by 2035.

It works fine IF polluting vehicles are banned from cities only. If they become illegal altogether, then all the rural folks will be fucked unless they can afford a newer car.

[–] Flisty@mstdn.social 1 points 2 months ago

@boonhet @0x0 they've got ten years from now in which they just need to remember not to buy a non-compliant one. The number of people still driving the same car they have now in ten years is small, surely.

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Are you for us using fossile fule instead?

Also if you are scared of spyware...why are you on the internet my guy?

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip -1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Are you for us using fossile fule instead?

No, just against blind EV adoption and zealotry.

Also if you are scared of spyware…why are you on the internet my guy?

The internet is a network, cars are vehicles. Try harder. Or don't.

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

What about it its zealotry

You arent typing this on the internet, you are typing this on a machine/device CONNECTED TO the internet. A device that is routing your info and data threw an IP adress and if its a mobile device also probably has a GPS function. If its a mobile phone, even if it doesnt have internet telecomunication it can be tracked. Smart cars are also connectable to the internet and have build in GPS. Anything connected to the internet or satelite can be tracked and traced! Its not a question of if but of how and cost effort worth

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Its not a question of if but of how and cost effort worth

Should be a question of why, really.
New smartphones ones are surveillance and built-in obsolescence, i'd rather avoid them and... can... to an extent.
New cars are surveillance and built-in obsolescence on wheels, i'd rather avoid them and i can.

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 2 months ago

Weather it should, can be asked about everything. Its possible and the your claim was that threw the car they can track you, but since that is already possible without the car, this isnt an issue if its only an issue for you only for that car but for nothing else

[–] PrettyFlyForAFatGuy@feddit.uk 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You don't have to send your car to landfill if it still works. you can always sell it

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Why would i sell a perfectly functioning car?
And if selling new cars (which tend to have more efficient engines) is banned, what's preventing selling of old ones?

[–] PrettyFlyForAFatGuy@feddit.uk 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Why would i sell a perfectly functioning car?

To buy one that doesn't fall afoul of regional emission restrictions, e.g. the ULEZ in london

what’s preventing selling of old ones?

Nothing, eventually they will find their way off the road through accumulated wear/damage. perhaps further down the road due to lack of access to fuel sources.

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 months ago

To buy one that doesn’t fall afoul of regional emission restrictions, e.g. the ULEZ in london

That's cute but in my neck of the woods used cars are severely underpriced (unless you buy all the parts from a scrapyard, then they'd cost quite a lot) and new cars are generally overpriced anyway,