Bye bye bowsers: Europe officially bans new petrol and diesel cars from next decade

As car brands across the world drastically change their processes to better accommodate electrification, the European Union has finally made its law to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars official.

In a vote by members of the European Parliament, the law passed with 340 votes in favour, 279 against and 21 abstentions.

Effectively, in the 27 EU member countries, the sale of petrol or diesel cars from 2035 will be illegal. 

Jan Huitema, the parliament's lead negotiator on the rules, said "the operating costs of an electric vehicle are already lower than the operating costs of a vehicle with an internal combustion engine” as reported by Reuters.

In a statement published by the European Parliament, Huitema further explained the key milestones for the plan.

“This regulation encourages the production of zero- and low-emission vehicles. It contains an ambitious revision of the targets for 2030 and a zero-emission target for 2035, which is crucial to reach climate neutrality by 2050. 

“These targets create clarity for the car industry and stimulate innovation and investments for car manufacturers. 

“Purchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers and a second-hand market will emerge more quickly. It makes sustainable driving accessible to everyone.”

Additionally, the Parliament says small volume manufacturers may be eligible for exemptions.

“Manufacturers responsible for small production volumes in a calendar year (1000 to 10,000 new cars or 1000 to 22,000 new vans) may be granted a derogation until the end of 2035. Those registering fewer than 1,000 new vehicles per year continue to be exempt.”

The scale of the EU’s new car market - Europe overall totalled 12.8 million cars in 2022 - means global brands will have to drastically change their tactics.

This comes as Toyota’s incoming CEO Koji Sato announced a more EV-focused approach to manufacturing for the future, and Ford announces a 3800-job cull in Europe and the UK to focus on being “unapologetically American”.