Members of the European Parliament voted in favor of an EU ban on fossil fuel cars starting in 2035. Quoted from Reuters, Thursday, this is also to accelerate Europe’s transition to electric vehicles (EV).
The vote in parliament, held Wednesday (8/6) local time, supports a key pillar of the European Union’s plan to reduce emissions by 55 percent by 2030, from 1990 levels.
Lawmakers backed a proposal made by the European Commission last year to call for a 100 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from new cars by 2035, which would make it impossible for automakers to sell fossil fuel vehicles in the European Union from that date.
There have also been attempts by some MPs to weaken the target of reducing CO2 by 90 percent by 2035.
The law is not final yet. The vote also confirms parliament’s position on upcoming negotiations with EU countries on the finalization of the law.
The aim is to accelerate Europe’s shift to electric vehicles and encourage automakers to invest heavily in electrification, helped by another EU law that would require countries to install millions of vehicle chargers.
“Buying and driving a zero-emissions car will become cheaper for consumers,” said Jan Huitema, parliament’s chief negotiator on the policy.
Automakers including Ford and Volvo have publicly supported the EU’s plan to stop selling fuel-engined cars by 2035, while others, including Volkswagen, aim to stop selling fuel-engined cars in Europe by that year.
However, emails seen by Reuters showed industry groups including German auto association VDA lobbied lawmakers to reject the 2035 target, which they say rules for low-carbon alternative fuels and too early for EVs, given the uncertain rollout of charging infrastructure.
“Our position is transparent. It is our mission to develop the best possible solution with everyone involved,” a VDA spokesperson said.
Electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles made up 18 percent of new passenger cars sold in the European Union last year, although overall car sales have fallen this year amid a shortage of semiconductors, according to the European Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
Transport makes up a quarter of Europe’s planetary warming emissions, and greenhouse gases from this sector have increased in recent years.
