Tags – Gas Powered Vehicles Ban EU
The EU has proposed a new phasing out of gas-powered combustion engine vehicles by 2035, as part of a wider effort to reduce carbon emissions throughout the continent.
To combat global warming, the EU aims to speed up the switch to zero-emission electric vehicles.
The European Commission proposed a 55% cut in CO2 emissions by 2030 compared to the levels it is at today and by 2035, a 100% cut, which means dealers will no longer be able to sell any fossil fuel powered vehicles across the 27 countries.
Most car manufacturers have already announced massive investments in switching to electric vehicles in anticipation of such announcements.
Last month, Volkswagen announced it would stop selling cars with combustion engines in Europe by 2035, followed by China and the US later in an effort to shift to electric vehicles.
But, there is growing concern whether or not the EU will back them by building charging stations and how quickly hybrid vehicles need to be phased out.
Despite these advances though, EU emissions have actually increased in more recent years, hence why new measures are being brought into place to fall in line with the overall strategy of getting to net zero emissions by 2050.
Chief Executive of Climate Group, Helen Clarkson says, “the science tells us we need to halve emissions by 2030, so for road transport it’s simple – get rid of the internal combustion engine.”
On the other hand, the European Car Industry Association (ACEA) said that banning certain technologies is not the answer.
Instead, they suggest that internal combustion engines, hybrids, battery electric and hydrogen vehicles all need to play a role for an easier transition.
Powering Up
Last year, Europe saw a spike in low emission car sales, despite COVID-19 and national lockdowns.
In fact, one in every nine new cars sold were either electric or a plug-in hybrid – so it’s clear to see consumers are more environmentally aware.
However, the switch to a fully electric environment is still a long way away, especially with worries surrounding the lack of public charging stations.
Nevertheless, Brussels has proposed legislation that requires countries to install public charging points within 37.5 miles apart by 2025, in an effort to boost electric vehicle sales.
They have predicted that by 2030, there will be 3.5 million public charging stations, which is set to rise to 16.3 million by 2050.
Furthermore, manufacturers have suggested they will only accept emissions targets, should public investment into charging points be returned.
To overcome this, BMW has made big investments into plug-in hybrids (both combustion engines and electric motors) – but this is only a midterm solution.
But, green credentials of hybrid vehicles are constantly being challenged, so if the phase includes hybrid cars too, their investment would have been wasted if pushed out too soon.
An Electric Future
The Commission has estimated that between €80 – €120 billion is needed to invest into public and private charging points across the EU by 2040.
But, this proposal needs to be approved by all 27 countries and the European Parliament; but there could be resistance
For instance, France is currently mapping out an internal combustion phase out by 2040 and looking for more wiggle room on hybrids.
Away from the EU, the UK already has plans in place to ban the sales of new combustion engine cars by 2030 and California, USA expects the same by 2035.
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