European Parliament Votes to Ban Sales of New Gas-Powered Cars by 2035

The European Parliament this week approved legislation requiring that all new passenger cars and commercial vans produce zero emissions by 2035.

A majority vote (340 in favor, 279 against, 21 abstentions) sealed the deal(Opens in a new window) to reduce CO2 emissions, which is in line with the European Union’s target of cutting net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030.

The regulation, says EU rapporteur Jan Huitema, is “an ambitious revision of the targets for 2030 and a zero-emission target for 2035, which is crucial to reach climate neutrality by 2050.”

It also loosens pre-2035 transition rules for small-scale manufacturers producing fewer than 10,000 new cars or 22,000 new vans per calendar year. Those making fewer than 1,000 new vehicles a year are exempt.

“These targets create clarity for car manufacturers,” says Huitema, a member of the Renew Europe Group. “Purchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers and a second-hand market will emerge more quickly. It makes sustainable driving accessible to everyone.”

The European Commission still has two years to develop a methodology for assessing and reporting data on the full life-cycle emissions of cars and vans sold in the EU. Starting at the end of 2025, it will begin publishing a biennial report evaluating progress toward zero-emission transportation.

The Council must formally endorse the parliamentary text before it can be published in the EU Official Journal and take effect. But, as Engadget points out(Opens in a new window), some European manufacturers have already gotten the hint: GM, Stellantis, Volvo, and VW plan to end all combustion engine car sales regionally or worldwide by 2035, at the latest. Renault is committed to electrifying most of its lineup as soon as 2025.