European Commission wants to ban combustion engines in new cars by 2035

The European Commission has unveiled its Green Deal plan, which aims to ensure that the EU achieves its climate targets. Part of the plan is that combustion engines in new cars will be banned by 2035 and that more renewable energy must be used.

According to the European Commission’s plan, all new cars must be emission-free from 2035. In practice, this means that in fourteen years only electric cars may be made. The EC does want the charging infrastructure to be expanded and charging and refueling points to be built on major highways at ‘regular distances’. There must be a charging station every 60 km and a hydrogen filling station every 150 km.

Other branches within the transport sector must also become cleaner from the EC. For example, the Commission wants aviation to pay for its CO₂ emissions. In addition, sustainable aviation fuels must be promoted and aircraft at major airports must have access to clean energy. Similar measures will apply to ships and large ports.

The Commission also wants buildings to use energy more efficiently. By 2030, 35 million buildings are planned to be renovated. This should reduce energy consumption. In order to stimulate this ‘renovation sector’, the public sector must renovate three percent of its buildings.

The energy used by buildings must also become more sustainable. By 2030, forty percent of Europe’s energy must come from renewable sources, if it is up to the European Commission. All Member States must contribute to this and there will be specific ‘targets’ for the use of renewable energy in transport, heating and cooling, buildings and industry. With regard to energy, the committee does not only look at solar panels and wind turbines, but also at renewable fuels such as hydrogen for industry and transport.

With all its plans, the European Commission wants greenhouse gas emissions to be 55 percent lower by 2030 than the level in 1990. By 2050, Europe must be climate neutral. The plan must first be adopted by the European Parliament. It is by no means certain that the current plans can continue like this; Germany and France, among others, have announced that they are against the combustion engine ban from 2035, according to Automotive News Europe.