European lawmakers have voted to support a proposed ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 in a move to speed up the shift to electric vehicles.
The European Parliament narrowly voted to support a proposal made by the European Commission last year that would require car manufacturers to produce vehicles with no CO2 emissions by 2035, effectively making it impossible to make and sell cars with combustion engines after that date.
The law is not yet final, as Wednesday's vote only confirms the parliament's position for negotiations with EU member states in the coming weeks on what the final legislation will look like.
The aim is to push automakers to invest heavily in electric cars and speed Europe's shift away from fossil fuel vehicles to electric vehicles, aided by another EU law that will require countries to install millions of vehicle chargers.
Reducing emissions
Wednesday’s vote passed by 339 votes to 249 with 24 abstentions, part of a package of draft climate legislation covering a range of other polluting industries - follows the EU’s plans to cut emissions by 2030 to 55 percent of 1990 levels.
The target requires an increase in emissions reductions from industry and the energy sector, as well as transport. Cars currently account for 12 percent of all EU CO2 emissions, while the transportation sector overall accounts for around a quarter.
Earlier Wednesday, the parliament failed to pass an emissions-trading system that would push further cuts.
Some carmakers are ready
Transport and Environment, a Brussels-based alliance, said the vote on vehicles offered “a fighting chance of averting runaway climate change”.
The German auto association VDA lobbied lawmakers to reject the 2035 target, which they said penalised alternative low-carbon fuels and was too early to commit to, given the uncertain rollout of charging infrastructure.
The conservative European People's Party (EPP), the parliament's biggest group of lawmakers, had sought to push a compromise that would have diluted the proposals and allowed sales of hybrid vehicles to continue.
French EPP lawmaker Agnes Evren said the decision would "condemn industrial activity and strongly penalise consumers".
Carmakers including Ford and Volvo have publicly supported the 2035 target, while others, including Volkswagen, aim to stop selling combustion engine cars in Europe by that date.
French automaker Renault has said it will produce 100 percent electric cars in Europe by 2030.
Electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles made up 18 percent of new passenger cars sold in the EU last year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, although overall car sales dropped in the year amid semiconductor shortages.
(with wires)
