Goodbye gasoline cars? E.U. E.U. lawmakers vote to ban new sales starting in 2035

European legislators have voted to ban new gasoline and diesel cars and vans in Europe.

Dorothy Lee
Dorothy Lee
09 June 2022 Thursday 06:09
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Goodbye gasoline cars? E.U. E.U. lawmakers vote to ban new sales starting in 2035

European legislators have voted to ban new gasoline and diesel cars and vans in Europe. This will be effective from 2035 and is a major boost for the region's ambitious green goals.

Wednesday's vote by 339 European Parliament MEPs was in favor of the plans. They had been suggested by the European Commission, an executive branch of the E.U. The proposal was defeated by 249 votes, and 24 MEPs abstained.

The European Union is now closer to its goal to reduce emissions from passenger cars and light commercial vehicle by 100 percent by 2035, as compared with 2021. The goal is to reduce emissions by 50 percent in vans and 55 per cent for cars by 2030.

The Commission previously stated that passenger cars and vans contribute approximately 12 percent and 2.5% to the total E.U. CO2 emissions. The MEPs will be negotiating the plans with the bloc’s 27 member countries.

The U.K. wants to end the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars and vans by 2030. All new cars and vans must have zero tailpipe emissions by 2035. The U.K. has left the E.U. 31 January 2020.

Jan Huitema is a Dutch MEP and part of the Renew Europe Group. He welcomed Wednesday's result. He said, "I am delighted that the European Parliament has supported an ambitious revision of 2030 targets and supported a 100 per cent target for 2035. This is critical to reach climate neutrality in 2050."

Alex Keynes from Transport & Environment, a Brussels-based campaign group that manages clean vehicles, was among those who commented on the news. Keynes stated that the deadline will see that all fossil fuel cars must be sold by 2035 to give us an opportunity to stop runaway climate change.

He also claimed that the plans give the car industry the certainty it needs to "ramp up the production of electric cars, which will lower prices for drivers."

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association stated that it was concerned by the vote of MEPs to set a -100% CO2 goal for 2035.

Oliver Zipse is president of the ACEA, and CEO of BMW. He said that his industry was experiencing a "wide push for electric cars, with new models coming in steadily."

Zipse stated that "but given the volatility, uncertainty we are experiencing worldwide day-to-day, any long term regulation going beyond this decade at this stage is premature at this early point." Zipse stated that a transparent review of the situation is necessary halfway to establish post-2030 goals.

The E.U. The E.U. has stated that it wants to become carbon neutral by 2050. It wants net greenhouse gas emissions to fall by at least 55% by 2030. This is the E.U.'s medium-term goal. It calls it its "Fit for 55” plan.

This plan was not easy to realize. After MEPs rejected a revision of the E.U., news about cars and vans emerged. Emissions Trading System (or ETS).