The EU Parliament has given its final approval to phase out internal combustion engines for new cars by 2035. In Strasbourg, a majority of MEPs voted in favor of banning cars with diesel and petrol engines from 2035.
The vote was on formally approving an agreement between Parliament and member states in October. After the agreement, the final approval of the result of the negotiation was still missing.
One sticking point in the talks was whether there should be an exception for cars running on synthetic fuels. These so-called e-fuels are usually produced from water and CO2 using electricity. According to the October agreement, the EU Commission must examine whether vehicles with this combustion engine can still be registered in the future.
Standards for trucks and buses
Trucks and buses should also be allowed to emit significantly less climate-damaging CO2 in the EU in the future. Specifically, the plans call for a 90% reduction by 2040 compared to 2019. “By 2050, almost every vehicle on our roads must be emission-free,” said Climate Commissioner Frans Timmermans. By 2050, the EU wants to become climate neutral – that is, emit only CO2 that can also be re-linked.
As an interim target, CO2 emissions from heavy commercial vehicles must be reduced by 45% by 2030 and by 65% by 2035.
“With the proposals for CO2 emission standards for heavy commercial vehicles, the internal combustion engine escapes its final burial,” said conservative German politician Ulrich Lange (CDU). However, tightening the limit values is technically hardly feasible.
Austrian freighters only criticized the new Euro 7 emission standard planned by the European Union on Monday. “We fear additional costs,” Alexander Klacska, president of the federal transport division of the Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ), told the APA. EU plans provide for a significant reduction in permissible amounts of nitrogen oxide for new vehicles. This regulation is applicable to passenger cars from July 2025, and the provisions will come into effect for buses and trucks in 2027.