The European Union struck a deal on Thursday on a law to effectively ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035, aiming to speed up the switch to electric vehicles and combat climate change.
Negotiators from the EU countries and the European Parliament, who must both approve new EU laws, as well as the European Commission, which drafts new laws, agreed that carmakers must achieve a 100% cut in CO2 emissions by 2035, which would make it impossible to sell new fossil fuel-powered vehicles in the 27-country bloc.
"This deal is good news for car drivers... new zero-emission cars will become cheaper, making them more affordable and more accessible to everyone," Parliament's lead negotiator Jan Huitema said. EU climate policy chief Frans Timmermans said the agreement sent a strong signal to industry and consumers. "Europe is embracing the shift to zero-emission mobility," he said.
The deal also included a 55% cut in CO2 emissions for new cars sold from 2030 versus 2021 levels, much higher than the existing target of a 37.5% reduction by then.With regulators increasing the pressure on carmakers to curb their carbon footprint, many have announced investments in electrification. Volkswagen