EU Parliament voted to stop petrol and diesel car sales from 2035 – Path towards climate neutrality

7 July 2022 | 3 min read

The EU Parliament recently voted in favor of a resolution to stop the sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2035. This is a huge step toward climate neutrality, and it’s important that all business owners understand what this means in terms of outcomes.

In this article, we will discuss the implications of this decision and what it could mean for the future of automotive transportation and the diffusion of more and more electric vehicles.

What are the details of the vote?

On June 8th, the European parliament voted to back a resolution to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035 in favour of electric ones. This is part of the EU’s goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

While the initial vote has been passed, the MEPs will still need to negotiate the exact specifics of the law with the representatives of the EU’s 27 national governments.

However, the overall goal is to have a Europe-wide ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035. This would mean that only electric vehicles would be sold in the EU after this date.

What are the key drivers of this vote?

The primary driver of this vote is the current climate change crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released a report which states that the global community must take “unprecedented” action to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 45% before 2030 in order to avoid a temperature increase of more than 1.5°C.

The EU is also under pressure to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement, which it ratified in 2016. The agreement commits signatories to take steps to limit the global average temperature increase.

The vote is also in response to mounting public pressure on the issue of climate change. In recent years, there have been a number of high-profile protests by groups such as the Extinction Rebellion and the Fridays for Future movement.

Another driver of this vote is the health of European citizens. Air pollution from petrol and diesel cars is responsible for over 400,000 premature deaths in the EU each year, the switch towards electric cars only can be a turning point.

What's going on in the automotive industry?

The first thing to note is that this is a target, not a ban. This means that it is not legally binding and will only come into effect if member states agree to it.
It’s also important to note that the target date is 2035, not 2030 as some had hoped. This gives carmakers a little over 15 years to switch to electric vehicles.

However, there are a number of challenges that need to be overcome before this can happen. Firstly, there needs to be a significant increase in the production of electric vehicles. This will require a huge investment in the manufacturing infrastructure as well as in the development of new battery technologies.

Secondly, there needs to be a major expansion of the charging network. This will require both public and private investment in order to create a comprehensive network of fast-charging stations.

Finally, the price of electric vehicles needs to be reduced in order to be affordable for the average consumer, not anymore as a premium class product.

The EU Parliament’s decision is a bold and necessary step in the fight against climate change. However, it will only be successful if these challenges are addressed promptly and effectively.

What actions are the carmakers planning in this regard?

There seem to be some proactive intentions to tackle this situation. Some of the major car manufacturers out there are already starting to invest in electric vehicles:

Volvo – Volvo has already outlined its plans to become a fully electric car company by 2030.
BMW – BMW has announced that they will be launching 12 fully electric cars by 2025 as part of a larger lineup of 25 hybrid and electric models.
Volkswagen – Volkswagen has said that they plan to invest €30 billion in electric vehicles by 2025 as it expects 70 per cent of its sales to be electric by 2030.
Jaguar – Jaguar has also announced plans to produce only electric cars from 2025 onwards. The British manufacturer plans to convert its entire range of vehicles to electric power in the next three years.

It’s clear that major manufacturers are starting to take electric vehicles seriously and are investing heavily in the technology. With the EU Parliament’s recent decision, it seems that the writing is on the wall for petrol and diesel cars. It’s time to start making this switch real.

A step in the right direction

While the popularity of electric cars has been growing in recent years under its own steam, the decision by the EU Parliament is a welcome boost. The move will help to accelerate the switch to electric vehicles and put pressure on manufacturers to speed up their plans.

It’s also a sign that policymakers are starting to take climate change seriously and are taking steps to reduce emissions from transport… for real. This is a crucial passage, if the global community is going to meet the set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, then avoiding the worst impacts of climate change could turn into reality.

The switch to electric cars is not without its challenges, but it is a necessary one if we are to avoid the worst case scenario of climate change. With the right policies in place, the transition can be managed efficiently, benefiting both consumers and, especially, the environment!