European Parliament Votes to Ban Sales of New Gas-Powered Cars by 2035
The European Parliament this week approved legislation requiring that all new passenger cars and commercial vans produce zero emissions by 2035.
A majority vote (340 in favor, 279 against, 21 abstentions) sealed the deal(Opens in a new window) to reduce CO2 emissions, which is in line with the European Union's target of cutting net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030.
The regulation, says EU rapporteur Jan Huitema, is "an ambitious revision of the targets for 2030 and a zero-emission target for 2035, which is crucial to reach climate neutrality by 2050."
It also loosens pre-2035 transition rules for small-scale manufacturers producing fewer than 10,000 new cars or 22,000 new vans per calendar year. Those making fewer than 1,000 new vehicles a year are exempt.
"These targets create clarity for car manufacturers," says Huitema, a member of the Renew Europe Group. "Purchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers and a second-hand market will emerge more quickly. It makes sustainable driving accessible to everyone."
The European Commission still has two years to develop a methodology for assessing and reporting data on the full life-cycle emissions of cars and vans sold in the EU. Starting at the end of 2025, it will begin publishing a biennial report evaluating progress toward zero-emission transportation.
The Council must formally endorse the parliamentary text before it can be published in the EU Official Journal and take effect. But, as Engadget points out(Opens in a new window), some European manufacturers have already gotten the hint: GM, Stellantis, Volvo, and VW plan to end all combustion engine car sales regionally or worldwide by 2035, at the latest. Renault is committed to
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