German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is hoping that that punitive tariffs the EU has threatened to slap on Chinese electric vehicles can still be prevented in negotiations with Beijing. Scholz said he had been “firmly promised” that the EU’s talks with Beijing would take place with this goal in mind, and that it was “the right way to go.” He said the dispute could be resolved by the end of the month if all goes well. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, threatened on Wednesday to impose import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles of up to 38.1%, after an investigation found evidence of il…