European legislators have persuaded the EU’s 27 member states to support a proposal that virtually prohibits the sale of gas-powered vehicles and vans by 2035. They have reached an agreement to adopt the Commission’s revised reduction objectives for carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars and light trucks. The Commission’s plan, which the European parliament approved in June, aims to cut emissions from new cars in certain categories by 100 percent in 13 years. That would be impossible unless gas-powered vehicles were phased out and only zero-emission ones were sold.
According to the agreement, new automobiles manufactured after 2030 must meet a 55% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared to 2021 levels. Vans must comply with a 50% reduction. Furthermore, the agreement says that existing EU money will be used to transition to zero-emission cars and related technologies in the future. Starting in 2025, the Commission also promises to produce a report every two years tracking the region’s progress toward zero-emission road transportation.
Before the deal becomes official, the European Parliament and Council must still ratify it, and amendments may be made before then. According to Reuters, the EU aims to produce a proposal on how to market carbon-neutral vehicles beyond 2035. However, automakers have been planning for the transition to zero-emission vehicles for some time, as governments across the world pass legislation to tackle climate change. Ford, for example, said last year that its consumer vehicles will be totally electric by 2030, while General Motors wants to eliminate emissions from all new “light-duty vehicles” by 2035.
