EU eyes abandoning internal combustion engine cars by 2035

The EU is set to propose all new vehicles sold from 2035 should have zero emissions as part of an unprecedented plan to align its economy with more ambitious climate targets, Report informs, referring to Bloomberg.

The European Commission, the bloc’s regulatory arm, plans to require emissions from new cars and vans to fall by 65 percent from 2030 and drop to zero from 2035. The stricter pollution standards will be complemented by rules that will oblige national governments to bolster vehicle charging infrastructure.

The clean overhaul of transport will be part of a swath of measures to be unveiled next week to enact a stricter 2030 climate goal of cutting greenhouse gases by at least 55 percent from 1990 levels. Europe aims to become the world’s first net-zero emissions continent by 2050, which will require overhauling every corner of its economy, with transport and industry being the most significant challenges.

“There’s no way around it. Reaching net-zero by 2050 means phasing out combustion vehicle sales by 2035 at the latest,” said Colin McKerracher, head of advance transport research for BloombergNEF.