EU Parliament votes to ban internal combustion engines by 2035

EU moves closer to banning internal combustion engines

In a recent EU Parliament voting, a new draft law was approved that will prohibit the sale of new vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. If becomes a law, sale of new vehicles that burn fossil fuel will no longer be allowed in all of Europe starting in 2035.

The EU Parliament upheld one of the union’s key pillar plans to cut down on CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030, from their 1990 emissions levels, which is now a target that requires immediate reductions across all industries.

The proposal, which was made by the European Commission in 2021, requires 100% reduction in carbon emissions from new vehicles starting in 2035, which means vehicle manufacturers will only be allowed to sell vehicles that are not powered by fossil fuels from that date and into the future.

“15% of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from road transport. Cutting these emissions is vital if we’re going to reach our climate goals,” a group of Green Party EU lawmakers tweeted after the vote on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.

With this new development, vehicle manufacturers will be forced to invest more in vehicle electrification, which is aided by another EU legislation that will require member countries to install millions of vehicle charging stations across their territories.

Will it affect motorcycles?

While the draft law only mentions cars and vans, it won’t be surprising if the 100% zero-emissions goal for 2035 will also include motorcycles in the equation within the next few years.

But, with the current technology, the range is still the biggest issue why there is less development in electric motorcycles versus cars. Unlike cars, motorcycles have only enough space for a few batteries and few batteries mean less range. The most feasible solution is swapping batteries, which as of last year, companies like KTM, Honda, Piaggio, and Yamaha, have signed a pact to develop technologies related to battery swapping for use in electric motorcycles.

Let’s just hope that one day, these battery-powered vehicles will be more convenient, cheap, and practical for the regular Juan dela Cruz.