Europe's biggest carmakers held talks with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday as the industry pressures the bloc to revise plans to end combustion-engine vehicle sales by 2035.

Suffering from fierce Chinese competition and a stuttering transition towards electric vehicles (EVs), embattled European automakers are pushing for Brussels to reconsider its ambitious climate goals.

"The regulation that is applicable to us is too rigid to produce success, and really we believe must be adapted to reality," Sigrid de Vries, director of the European auto lobby ACEA, said ahead of the talks. "We need to be more pragmatic."

The European Commission said emission standards, competition and EU proposals on batteries and spurring businesses to buy electric vehicles were discussed -- adding more det

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