The European Union has taken another major step toward the ban on sales of new vehicles equipped with internal-combustion engines, including hybrids, by the year 2035.
The proposal to have CO2 from vehicles reduced 100% by 2035, which was first made by the European Commission in 2021, received support from the European Parliament following a vote on Wednesday.
It means the proposal now has to be voted in by the European Council, composed of the heads of state or government of the E.U. member states, before it can be passed into law.
Attempts to have the proposal watered down to a 90% CO2 reduction target by 2035 were rejected during Wednesday's vote.
While most major automakers support the measure, there were reports last year that the Italian government was seeking an exception for niche automakers like Ferrari and Lamborghini whose cachet to some degree is due to their big and loud engines. It's certainly possible that countries in the E.U. will propose amendments to protect local industries.
And citing emails, Reuters reported on Wednesday that German auto industry association VDA is against the proposal, as it is concerned that there won't be sufficient charging infrastructure ready by the 2035 deadline and that alternative measures, such as carbon-neutral synthetic fuels, will be abandoned.
Some countries like Canada and the U.K. are targeting similar plans for 2035. While the U.S. is yet to head down this road, California said in 2020 it would require all light-duty vehicles to produce zero emissions by 2035, and some other states have expressed an interest in similar rules. General Motors last year also said its light-vehicle fleet will be electric by 2035.
