Starting in 2035, gas-powered cars are expected to become a relic of the past in most of Europe.
Members of the European Union Parliament voted Wednesday to adopt new rules regarding CO2 emissions performance standards from the “Fit for 55 in 2030” package, including a proposal to reach zero-emission road mobility by 2035. Reduction targets in the package prevent cars or vans with internal combustion engines to be sold in the E.U.
According to a Thursday statement from the E.U., 339 members of parliament voted in favor of the changes, 249 voted against them and 24 abstained. The E.U. also said it has a “target to reduce the emissions produced by new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles by 100% compared to 2021.”
Before hitting the zero-emissions goal in 2035, the E.U.
plans to reduce emissions by 55% for cars and 50% for vans in 2030.
“An ambitious revision of CO2 standards is a crucial part of reaching our climate targets. With these standards, we are creating clarity for the car industry and can stimulate innovation and investments for car manufacturers,” said E.U. parliament member Jan Huitema. “In addition, purchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers.”
The Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management group in the U.S.
pushing for a similar zero-emissions initiative here describes zero-emissions vehicles as “battery electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, and the cleanest possible plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles.”
Highway vehicles release about 1.6 billion tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere each year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. CO2 makes up most of those gasses, which contribute to global climate change that can lead to increased wildfires, severe storms, melting glaciers and more.
For each gallon of gas a motorist uses, 20 pounds of greenhouses gasses are created, said the department. A typical vehicle can create six to nine tons of greenhouse gasses annually.
In addition to impacting the environment, gas-powered vehicles have become increasingly expensive to fuel up for many in the U.S. and Europe since Russia began an invasion of Ukraine in February.
In the U.S., AAA estimated that the average gas price per gallon was close to $5 as of Friday. GlobalPetrolPrices.com estimated prices in the U.S. even higher, at $5.03.
According to the BBC, Russia has supplied the E.U. with about a quarter of its oil imports. Due to the Russian invasion, the U.S. and E.U. have placed sanctions on Russian oil.
GlobalPetrolPrices.com listed some of the 27 E.U. member countries, including Denmark and Finland at the equivalent of more than $10 per gallon, as some of the countries where oil was the most expensive in the world as of June 6.
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