Written by Cláudio Afonso | info@claudio-afonso.com | LinkedIn | Twitter
European Parliament voted on Wednesday an effective EU ban on the sale of new combustion engine cars from 2035. The proposal passed by 339 votes to 249 with 24 abstentions at a session in France. In the European Union, vehicles are responsible for 12 percent of all CO2 emissions.
The automakers will now have to cut carbon-dioxide emissions by 100 percent by the middle of the next decade and also a 55 percent reduction in CO2 from automobiles in 2030 compared with 2021.
On Thursday, The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) urged MEPs and EU ministers to consider all the uncertainties facing the industry, as it prepares for a massive industrial transformation.
“The automobile industry will fully contribute to the goal of a carbon-neutral Europe in 2050. Our industry is in the midst of a wide push for electric vehicles, with new models arriving steadily. These are meeting customers’ demands and are driving the transition towards sustainable mobility,” stated Oliver Zipse, ACEA President and CEO of BMW.
“But given the volatility and uncertainty we are experiencing globally day-by-day, any long-term regulation going beyond this decade is premature at this early stage. Instead, a transparent review is needed halfway in order to define post-2030 targets.”
“Such a review will first of all have to evaluate whether the deployment of charging infrastructure and the availability of raw materials for battery production will be able to match the continued steep ramp-up of battery-electric vehicles at that point in time.”
ACEA added that “it is now also essential to deliver on the rest of the necessary conditions to make zero-emissions possible”. In order to reach that, the association urges the EU to adopt the different elements of Fit for 55 – particularly CO2 targets and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) – as one coherent package.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | info@claudio-afonso.com | LinkedIn | Twitter