European Union formally bans gas and diesel car sales from 2035 onwards

In a move to boost the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), the European Parliament has approved the law to ban the sale of new gas and diesel cars in the EU, starting in 2035.

The new legislation sets the path towards zero CO2 emissions for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in 2035 (an EU fleet-wide target to reduce CO2 emissions produced by new cars and vans by 100 percent compared to 2021).

The Commission will present by 2025 a methodology to assess and report data on CO2 emissions throughout the full life-cycle of cars and vans sold on the EU market.

"This regulation encourages the production of zero- and low-emission vehicles. It contains an ambitious revision of the targets for 2030 and a zero-emission target for 2035, which is crucial to reach climate neutrality by 2050," said Jan Huitema, a member of the European Parliament.

"Purchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers and a second-hand market will emerge more quickly. It makes sustainable driving accessible to everyone," Huitema added.

Manufacturers responsible for small production volumes in a calendar year (1,000 to 10,000 new cars or 1,000 to 22 000 new vans) may be granted a derogation until the end of 2035 (those registering fewer than 1 000 new vehicles per year continue to be exempt), said the Commission.

Every two years, starting from the end of 2025, the Commission will publish a report to evaluate the progress towards zero-emission road mobility.

The law was first accepted by negotiators from EU countries, the European Parliament, and the European Commission in October last year.

Several automakers like Volkswagen have already said to produce only EVs in Europe by 2033. (KB/IANS)