The end of an era for petrol and diesel cars

The ban on petrol and diesel cars from 2035

The European parliament has announced its’ backing for a complete ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2035. Of a total of 512 votes, 339 were in favour of the proposals, whilst 249 rejected and 24 abstained. As part of the broader campaign to fight global warming, this means that by 2035, no new combustion engine cars will be sold past 2035. The ban on sale will come about from the consequential requirement for automakers to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 100% by the middle of the next decade. Attempts by some lawmakers to weaken the target to a 90% cut in CO₂ emissions by 2035 were rejected. EU lawmakers further endorsed a 55% reduction in CO₂ from automobiles in 2030 compared to 2021. This should provide a monumental pivot in the ongoing climate crisis, as transport accounts for around a quarter of the world’s carbon emissions, and road vehicles for around three-quarters of that share. If the world is to have any chance of reaching net-zero by 2050, electronic vehicles will need to take over, and soon.

Charging infrastructure in Europe

Germany’s auto industry lobby group, VDA, criticised the vote saying that it ignored the lack of charging infrastructure in Europe. The worry is that with the electric car revolution gathering pace, there is not enough chargers installed to power the new vehicles that millions of drivers are about to adopt. Furthermore, manufacturers, urban planners and councils in the UK have criticised the poor leadership by the government to ensure an adequate amount of charging stations, risking many people unable to make the switch for many years to come, especially in poorer areas and built-up areas, where off street parking isn’t available. A recent article states that “there are now around 25,000 public charging devices available in the UK. But more than that number will need to be installed every year for the next 14 years if we are to hit the 480,000 devices and two million power leads that it’s estimated we may need by 2035. Between 40 and 50 charge points need to be installed every day between now and 2035 to meet demand, the research organisation New AutoMotive said last month.”

Social inequality

This obviously raises concerns with a rise in social inequality, not only for lack of charging points in poorer areas, but people can pay as little as 10p per kilowatt hour to charge at home, whereas using a public charger can sometimes cost up to six times more. Electric vehicles are currently also very expensive and the only sign of this changing is everyone’s faith that the price will just automatically come down.

Negotiations are still to be had into the law behind the legislation with the EU’s national governments, and it’s unknown as to when this will be confirmed. Pascal Canfin, the centrist chair of the environment committee, promised the search for compromise would begin immediately. “This deal could be made this afternoon, could be made in two weeks, could be made in July, I don’t know yet. That is what we are going to start discussing,” he said. The combustion engine ban is evidently a great steppingstone in carbon neutrality, however as with every decision, there are consequences, which need to be quickly addressed to make the law economically effective and socially fair.