Amidst a veto threatened by Germany, Italy, and other countries, the European Council adopted new regulations on the 28th. Starting in 2035, new vehicles must be zero-emission, and gasoline and diesel vehicles using traditional internal combustion engines will no longer be sold. Despite strong German intervention, new vehicles using synthetic fuels like e-fuels will continue to be sold.
The Council is the final step in the decision-making process, and the policy of banning the sale of fuel vehicles is officially "finalized". The new regulations will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will take effect on the 20th day after publication.
Passed despite multi-national boycott: All new cars sold by 2035 must be zero-emission
Transportation accounts for approximately a quarter of the EU's carbon emissions. In 2021, the European Commission proposed a ban on the sale of new fuel-powered vehicles. Starting in 2030, CO2 emissions from new vehicles must be reduced by 55% compared to 2021 levels. By 2035, all new vehicles sold must be zero-emission, effectively eliminating the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles.
The European Parliament approved the bill in February 2023, and it was originally scheduled for approval after a Council vote in early March. This was initially a routine procedure, but news broke that Germany, Italy, Poland, and other countries might veto it, leading to a delay. After extensive consultations, the Council voted on the 28th, with Poland voting against it and Italy, Bulgaria, and Romania abstaining, ultimately allowing it to pass.
Poland said the law was impractical and would lead to higher car prices, while Italy wanted to exempt cars using biofuels. Ultimately, only e-fuels, as requested by Germany, were granted an exemption, allowing them to continue to be used after 2035.
E-fuels are liquid fuels made from hydrogen and carbon dioxide. They are considered carbon-neutral because they are powered by renewable energy. However, they are expensive and have yet to be mass-produced.
E-fuels receive exemptions, additional support packages to prevent abuses
According to Reuters, Porsche and Ferrari, which support e-fuels, believe that carrying batteries is too heavy; while automakers such as Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Ford have already joined the electric vehicle camp.
Germany's intervention has angered some EU representatives. Spanish Energy Minister Teresa Ribera criticized e-fuels as too expensive to be widely adopted. "It's a matter of principle. This approach is not fair," she said.
Since e-fuels can be used in traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, in order to prevent ordinary fuel vehicles from taking to the road, the European Commission will propose technical support in the fall of 2023 to stipulate that vehicles using e-fuels after 2035 cannot be started when using gasoline or diesel.
Source: Environmental Information Center (https://e-info.org.tw/node/236411)
