- At CES, Bosch’s North American president said that because of the changing political landscape in America, about 70% of vehicles sold here will still be equipped with an internal combustion engine in 2035.
- But these can take many forms, including hybrids, and long-range electric cars.
- However, the German giant is not interested in gas, as it is a major supplier of both plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.
German company Bosch is one of those companies that has its hand in a little bit of everything. Under the company’s umbrella, it engineers everything from smart refrigerators to home cooling systems, fuel injectors for gas vehicles, electric motors for battery-powered cars and everything in between. It even builds sensors into your iPhone.
But as Bosch continues to develop more advanced components for electric vehicles and makes a big push towards it artificial intelligence In addition, the company now takes a longer-term view on internal combustion than it did before. She now insists that gas engines will be around for a while, especially in North America.
“Until 2035, there will be (internal combustion) technology in 70% of vehicles,” said Paul Thomas, president of Bosch North America and country head of its mobility business. Thomas later clarified that this number referred to the North American market, not anywhere else in the world.
But he also gave an explanation of how to use these engines. “Now, will they have Range extender On that car? Will they have a mild hybrid or a vigorous hybrid? We think so, we think battery electric vehicles will still have a place in the market, and that hasn’t changed much from what I said last year, which is that the ramp-up of the shift to electric has changed based on consumer demand.
This may come as a disappointment to electric car fans, as it comes from the world’s largest car supplier. But it may also be a reflection of reality for Bosch, which has moved on from rapid growth into electrification At the beginning of this decade to Multiple rounds of job cuts In 2025, with the decline in demand for electric cars. In 2024, Bush predicted Pure electric cars will account for between 40% and 50% of the market in North America and China.
Bosch AI Connected Cockpit
Photography: Bush
But last year, China surged ahead of that estimate, with electric vehicles already making up half of new car sales. Meanwhile, the U.S. rollback of pro-electric vehicle policy implemented under President Donald Trump — including ending tax breaks for electric vehicles and fuel economy rules — has slowed the market to a trickle. Besides having to offset the costs of new tariffs, automakers are now leaning toward more profitable gas-powered models and waiting for battery and driving costs to fall. A new range of affordable electric vehicles.
Thomas said Bush dealt with these disturbances by keeping a lot of irons on a lot of fires. “We’ve been very balanced in our approach to electric vehicles, hybrids, and let’s call them ‘natural propulsion,'” he said, referring to gas-powered vehicles. But he stressed that hybrids, more advanced technologies and long-range electric vehicles — where the gas engine acts as a generator to recharge the battery — will push the field forward. The 70% figure could refer to any of those compounds, Thomas said.
By 2035, Bosch expects electric vehicles to make up only about 30% of the total U.S. market, specifically, he said.
At the same time, even as The United States eases fuel economy rules The European Union is backing away from a plan to ban internal combustion by 2035, and Thomas said it was essential for Bosch to continue working on cleaner and better engines.
“We are still 100% invested in the right technology to keep engines moving in the right direction on emissions,” he said. The worst thing I think could happen is that suppliers rest on their laurels and don’t continue to improve the internal combustion engine.”
Thomas’s comments contradict what many advocates of electric vehicles and all-electric companies claim: that as battery technology improves and becomes less expensive over time, customers will naturally choose them as better products, and not just because of incentives.
“I really think the constraint is not on the demand side. It’s on the supply side,” said RJ Scaringe, CEO of Rivian. luck In December. “I think having an option will help stimulate more penetration, and actually create a unique opportunity in the United States.”
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
