EU Commission Wants To Phase Out Sale Of Gas-Guzzling Cars By 2035

The European Commission has proposed requiring all new cars and vans to be emissions-free by 2035, phasing out the sale of diesel or gasoline cars by that point in a major market shift, Ella Joyner reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

However, the ambitious plan - unveiled on Wednesday - has a review clause, with progress to be analyzed every two years, EU sources said, asking to remain unnamed. A report assessing manufacturers' readiness to meet the objective is due in 2028. The 2035 deadline could theoretically be pushed back.

In an interview ahead of the announcement, commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it would be up to carmakers to change the way they produce. "They know best how to develop new cars or new fuels," she told German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

Several major manufacturers, including Volkswagen and Volvo, have already indicated that they will aim to stop producing traditional combustion engines in Europe by 2035, mostly through a pivot towards going electric.

The 2035 objective is part of the EU executive's plan to slash emissions 55 percent by 2030 as compared to 1990 and reach net zero by 2050, presented on Wednesday. It still needs to be signed off by the member states and the European Parliament.

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