The European Commission has watered down its flagship plan to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, following intense lobbying from carmakers concerned about slowing demand for electric vehicles.
Under existing rules, all new cars sold in the EU from 2035 were required to be “zero emission”. However, the Commission’s revised proposal would require only 90 per cent of new vehicles sold from that date to meet the zero-emissions standard, rather than 100 per cent.
The remaining 10 per cent could consist of conventional petrol or diesel vehicles, as well as hybrids, with additional measures intended to offset the resulting emissions.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), which represents major carmakers including those in Germany, has repeatedly warned that demand for electric vehicles is not growing fast enough to meet the current targets. Without changes, it said manufacturers would face “multi-billion-euro” penalties.
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