On February 14, the European Parliament voted to pass a bill to ban the sale of new cars and new diesel vehicles by 2035, in order to achieve the EU's goal of climate neutrality by 2050. The bill was originally scheduled to be formally passed after the member states voted today (7), but with the change of position of Germany and Italy, and the lack of support from Poland and Bulgaria, the possibility of the bill not being passed has increased significantly. The rotating presidency of the European Council announced last Friday that the vote would be postponed, and the new schedule has not yet been determined.
The EU's push for electric vehicles is aimed not only at reducing carbon emissions but also at enabling European cars to compete with China in the electric vehicle market. However, opponents of the law criticize it as a threat to the traditional internal combustion engine vehicle manufacturing industry, affecting hundreds of thousands of jobs. Germany, on the other hand, hopes the EU will allow cars to continue using synthetic fuels (e-fuels) after 2035.
To reduce carbon emissions, we must compete in the electric vehicle market
The European Commission proposed a ban on the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles in 2021, and in October 2022, a three-way agreement was reached with member states and the European Parliament. However, conservatives in the European Parliament remained opposed to the ban. On February 14, 2023, the European Parliament voted to approve the ban by a narrow margin. The ban was originally scheduled to be formally adopted after a vote at the ministerial meeting in March.
Currently, cars account for about 15% of the EU's total CO2 emissions. This law requires that new cars sold from 2030 onwards must reduce CO2 emissions by 55% compared to 2021, a medium-term target, and by 100% by 2035. In other words, no new gasoline or diesel cars will be sold from 2035 onwards.
Driven by rising energy costs and environmental regulations in recent years, EU consumers have been gradually turning to electric vehicles. Currently, approximately 12% of new cars sold in the EU are electric. According to Radio France Internationale, supporters believe the bill sets a clear timeline for European automakers to transition to producing zero-carbon vehicles.
The EU has also acknowledged that promoting this law will help European cars gain a foothold in the electric vehicle market. European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans reminded lawmakers that China will launch 80 electric vehicle models between last year and the end of this year, and "we don't want to cede this important industry to others."
Ferrari partially concedes terms in response to impact on traditional manufacturing
Opponents say the massive cuts will catch businesses off guard and affect hundreds of thousands of jobs. Jens Gieseke, a member of the European Parliament from the center-right European People's Party (EPP), said 600,000 jobs in Germany's internal combustion engine manufacturing industry would be severely affected.
During negotiations last October, negotiators agreed on the so-called "Ferrari clause," which exempted smaller automakers producing fewer than 10,000 cars and 22,000 trucks a year from the mid-range target, but still required them to reach zero emissions by the end of 2035.
In addition, Euractiv also pointed out that the current EU fuel vehicle ban only includes cars and trucks, and has not yet regulated heavy commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses, which will be the target of the next wave of regulations.
EU vote postponed as Germany, Italy and other nations may vote against
Even though the EU Parliament has passed the bill, according to Euronews, Italy has 270,000 people directly or indirectly employed in the automotive industry, and its transport minister has expressed opposition to the bill. German Transport Minister Volker Wissing has also threatened to veto the bill if the EU does not support the use of e-fuels. Coupled with the possibility of opposition from Poland and Bulgaria, the bill's passage is unlikely.
E-fuel is a liquid fuel synthesized from hydrogen and carbon dioxide using renewable energy. While it can be used in traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, it requires a high level of renewable energy. However, some environmentalists are not supportive of e-fuel. German MEP Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg described e-fuel use in cars as "like taking a champagne shower—expensive and inefficient." Last year, Volkswagen publicly announced that it would produce only electric vehicles in Europe starting in 2033.
Euronews noted that if these four countries abstain or veto the bill, it will not meet the threshold for passage and will then have to be amended, renewed, and voted on again. Sweden, the current rotating presidency of the EU Council, announced on the 3rd that the vote would be postponed, but did not specify when.
Source: Environmental Information Center (https://e-info.org.tw/node/236196)
