EU sets 2035 sales ban sale of new petrol and diesel cars

The European Union (EU) has reportedly reached an agreement that will see it ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars with internal combustion engines (ICE) from 2035 onwards. Essentially, the EU's executive arm, the parliament, and member states have  finalised a deal that will make the ICE illegal in 12 years' time.

Of course, there are a few exceptions, one of which being ‘niche’ automakers that produce 1,000 to 10,000 cars annually, which will be given a one-year exemption from this ban until 2036. As for more exclusive ‘boutique’ brands that produce fewer than 1,000 units annually, they are safe for the time being.

As it stands, the EU has a total of 27 countries, but this list is set to grow further with the inclusion of more countries in the coming years – Albania, Moldova, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine are amongst the candidates.

Perhaps the only plausible way for ICE vehicles to continue selling in the EU through the middle part of the next decade is if synthetic fuels produced from renewable sources gain traction – i.e. hydrogen.

Though this ban will likely see automakers in the EU going pure electric by 2035, those who seek to offer ICE-powered vehicles still in this period will have to develop significantly cleaner ones. This stems from the fact the same agreement calls for a reduction of CO2 emission by 55% by the end of the decade from 2021 levels – a much more aggressive target than the initial 37.5% reduction goal.

Though this decision directly impacts EU countries, the ban on selling new ICE cars from 2035 will also have global ramifications. Many automakers headquartered in and around the EU have already commercialised the demise of the petrol and diesel cars in said region.

Effectively, this decision by the EU perhaps marks the true beginning of the end for petrol and diesel ICE cars. It’s likely that many existing ICE car models will likely be killed off in this decade as automakers head towards the 2035 target.