🌱 When does the EU plan to phase-out combustion vehicles?
Through a law passed by the European Parliament on 14 February 2023, the EU had planned to effectively ban the sale of new combustion vehicles as of 2035. Greenpeace had criticized this timeline by stating that a “2035 phase-out […] is not quick enough [and that] new [combustion vehicles] should be banned by 2028 at the latest”. Following the passing of the law, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia formed an alliance to oppose the planned phase-out. They made a new proposal, which included combustion vehicles that could run on synthetic, carbon-neutral fuels or “e-fuels”. Notably, critics say that the production of these fuels is a waste of renewable energy. On 28 March 2023, the EU approved the law with the exemption for “e-fuels”.
🌱 What is the context of the law?
The planned phase-out of new combustion vehicles is a part of the EU’s “Fit for 55” package (or the 55% emission reduction target by 2030).
Read more about the EU’s phase-out of combustion vehicles here:
- https://www.eiu.com/n/eu-decision-on-e-fuels-unblocks-electric-vehicle-targets/
- https://europe.autonews.com/environmentemissions/germany-teams-italy-and-others-change-eu-ice-ban
- https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230214-eu-approves-2035-ban-on-new-fossil-fuel-car-sales
- https://www.esgtoday.com/eu-lawmakers-back-deal-requiring-all-new-cars-to-be-zero-emission-by-2035/