<\/p>\n
The EU has confirmed it wants to water down its landmark 2035 ban on the sale of new petrol or diesel cars, yielding to heavy pressure from the car industry and leaders from several EU member states including Germany and Italy.<\/p>\n
Wopke Hoekstra, a European climate commissioner, described the proposals as a \u201cwin, win\u201d situation for consumers and industry, keeping Europe<\/a> on the electrification course with a series of carrot and stick measures.<\/p>\n Under current legislation, manufacturers were obliged to ensure that 100% of production of cars and vans had zero emissions up to 2035.<\/p>\n The European Commission has now proposed reducing this to 90%, enabling the continued manufacture of a portion of plug-in hybrid electric cars, or even combustion engines beyond 2035.<\/p>\n In a carrot-and-stick approach, the remaining 10% of assembly line output that is not carbon neutral will need to be compensated by other green measures on the factory floor, including the use of green steel made in Europe or use of biofuels in non-electric vehicles.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will allow for plug-in hybrids (PHEV), range extenders, mild hybrids, and internal combustion engine vehicles to still play a role beyond 2035, in addition to full electric (EVs) and hydrogen vehicles,\u201d the commission said.<\/p>\n Apostolos Tzitzikostas, a commissioner for sustainable transport, said: \u201cThis gives the market and the consumer the freedom to decide which technology they want to drive.\u201d The industry commissioner, St\u00e9phane S\u00e9journ\u00e9, said the European industry faced three challenges: competition from China, \u201ca crisis in demand\u201d and slow tech development in Europe.<\/p>\n The proposals, which require approval from EU governments and the European parliament, are the bloc\u2019s biggest retreat from its green policies enacted over the previous five years.<\/p>\n Opponents said the announcement was a blow for Europe\u2019s electrification journey.<\/p>\n Chris Heron, the secretary general of E-Mobility Europe, said it was \u201cthe wrong time for Europe to take the wind out of its own sails\u201d, adding the only way the EU industry could remain competitive was to reinforce its policy, not by \u201cpulling off course\u201d.<\/p>\n Greenpeace UK\u2019s policy director, Dr Douglas Parr, urged Keir Starmer not to follow suit. \u201cThe UK must not join Europe in this act of economic self-sabotage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Greenpeace Germany\u2019s executive director, Martin Kaiser, described the plan as \u201can early Christmas present for Chinese electric car manufacturers\u201d.<\/p>\n Announcing the proposals, Hoekstra insisted the EU was \u201cstaying the course on zero emissions\u201d but \u201cintroducing some flexibility for manufacturers so they can meet their CO2<\/sub> two targets in the most cost efficient way\u201d.<\/p>\n S\u00e9journ\u00e9 also announced measures to accelerate the delivery of small electric cars.<\/p>\n If the vehicles are under 4.2m in length, cost between \u20ac15,000 to \u20ac20,000 (\u00a313,151 to \u00a317,535) and are made in the EU, customers will benefit from reductions in road tolls and discounts at charging stations and manufacturers will get bonus credits for their factory floor carbon output.<\/p>\n Up to 2035, manufacturers of small electric cars will get \u201csuper credits\u201d allowing them to bank bonus carbon credits for their factories.<\/p>\n BEUC, the EU organisation of consumer bodies, welcomed efforts to bring small EVs to the market, saying hybrid cars at a cost of \u20ac40,000 were \u201cnowhere near a real option for most households\u201d.<\/p>\n The commission is also proposing to relax targets for electric vans, reducing the requirements for a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 to 40%.<\/p>\n The move, which follows lobbying by the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni<\/a>, will be seen as a victory for the European car industry, which has struggled to make the transition to electric and faces growing competition from Chinese rivals<\/a>.<\/p>\n