The European Parliament has approved new bans on petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035

The European Union One step closer to banning the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines (ICEs) from 2035 onwards.

Overnight, the European Parliament – consisting of elected members from all EU countries – voted in favor of the proposed sanctions, with 239 votes to 249 against 24 abstentions.

Now that the proposal has been approved in parliament, it will begin discussions with EU member states on the correct text of the law.

The first sanctions were proposed in July 2021 by the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, as part of a set of environmental measures to combat global warming and climate change.

Known as “Fit for 55”, the package aims to reduce the union’s carbon emissions by 55 percent from 1990 levels by 2030 and hit carbon neutrality by 2050.

Under the commission’s plan, average CO2 emissions from new vehicles will be reduced from 95g / km today to 0g / km by 2035, effectively banning the sale of new petrol, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

According to Reuters The proposed legislation was delayed by some conservative MEPs (members of the European Parliament) for lowering the CO2 reduction target from 100 percent to just 90 percent.

The failed move was supported by the German Automobile Industry Association (VDA), which argued that low-carbon fuels should be given a chance, and said the deadline was too abrupt due to uncertainty over the roll-out of car charging infrastructure.

Although the ICE car ban has not yet become law, most European automakers have rewritten their development plans to focus on EVs.

Many have said they want to stop selling ICE cars in Europe before 2035, while others have gone even further. For example, Ford’s European passenger car range will only include EVs by 2030, and Opel / Vauxhall will do so by 2028.

Some luxury brands, such as the Jaguar (2025), the Alfa Romeo (2027), the Bentley (2030), and the Volvo (2030), want to be the only electric power in the world before the EU deadline.

More: Which brands are going to be fully electric and when?