Auto & Transportation

On July 14, the European Commission is proposing to achieve zero carbon emissions for all newly registered vehicles by 2035, and to ban the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles by law.

In order to promote the sale of electric vehicles, the European Union has also proposed legislation requiring countries to install public charging stations on important roads by 2025, with a distance between the stations no more than 60 kilometers. The European Union predicts that there will be 3.5 million public charging stations for cars and vans by 2030, and this number will rise to 16.3 million by 2050. The EU will need 80 to 120 billion euros (about 95 to 142 billion US dollars) for public and private charging stations by 2040.

These proposals are part of the "Fit for 55" package released by the European Union on July 14, aiming to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030, and ultimately achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Previously, the EU's target reduction by 2030 was only 37.5%.

Passenger cars account for about 12% of the EU's carbon dioxide emissions, so limiting passenger car emissions will be the key to the EU's environmental goals. These measures will require the approval of member states and the European Parliament, and this process may take about 2 years.

Environmentalists welcome these proposals. William Todts, executive director of the European Transport and Environment Federation, said: "This is a turning point for the automotive industry and good news for drivers. The new EU regulations will popularize electric vehicles and vigorously boost charging facilities. This means that clean cars will soon It will become affordable, and millions of Europeans will easily charge their cars."

However, the goal of banning the sale of fuel vehicles in 2035 has been opposed by the automobile lobby. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) stated that banning a specific technology is not a sensible way of development. Internal combustion engines, including hybrid systems, need to play a role in the transition.

ACEA President Oliver Zipse said: “We urge all EU institutions to commit to innovation instead of forcibly banning a specific technology. The 2030 proposal requires a significant increase in market demand for electric vehicles in a short period of time. There are not all stakeholders (including With the major efforts of member states and related industries, this goal is really not feasible."

The German Automobile Association VDA also condemned the goal of phasing out fuel vehicles by 2035, saying that this will have a huge impact on employment in the auto industry, but the European Union has not yet made any assessment of the social impact of the plan. Hildegard Müller, President of VDA, said: "This is against innovation, against open technology, and it also restricts consumers' right to choose."

The European Suppliers Association CLEPA also stated that the 2035 ban is not the most effective way for the EU to achieve climate-neutral transportation. CLEPA Secretary-General Sigrid de Vries said in a statement: "This may not even be achieved... When using sustainable renewable fuels, internal combustion engine vehicles are climate-neutral, and when using renewable electricity, electric vehicles are climate-neutral. , The priority should be renewable fuels and electricity, not banning a technology."