The European Parliament voted on Tuesday (14 February) to approve a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, clearing the final legislative hurdle.
The majority vote wins
EU member states have approved the legislation and it will now officially become law, despite opposition from conservative MEPs, the largest parliamentary group.
It would give European automakers a clear window of time to switch production to zero-emission electric vehicles, the bill’s supporters say.
This will support the European Union’s ambitious plan to become a “climate neutral” economy by 2050, with zero greenhouse gas emissions.
“Let me remind you that between last year and the end of this year China will bring 80 electric car models to the international market,” EU vice president Frans Timmermans warned MEPs.
“This is a good car. This is a car that will be more and more affordable, and we have to compete with it. We do not want to hand over this important industry to outsiders.
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The opposition is worried
But opponents argue that the industry is not ready for dramatic cuts in the production of internal combustion engine vehicles, and hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk.
“Our proposal is … to let the market decide which technology is best to achieve its goals,” said MEP Jens Gieseke, a member of the center-right European People’s Party.
The argument of Green MEPs and socialists that electric cars are cheaper to launch has become “null and void” due to the crisis of rising energy costs, Gieseke said.
“In Germany 600 000 people work in the production of ICE, the job is at risk,” he said, asking the European Commission to rethink its plan to impose a ban on trucks and buses.
Opponents also argue that car batteries are produced abroad by European competitors like the United States, but Timmermans says that thanks to EU-backed investment, European production will increase.
The Strasbourg Assembly passed the law by 340 votes to 279, with 21 abstentions.
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