EU Proposes Fossil Fuel Car Ban by 2035

I think it would be fair to say that the writing is almost certainly on the wall for the future of the fossil fuel car. Yes, exactly when the last one will roll off a production line is still more than a little of a contentious subject, but with many major car manufacturers having already committed to an electric future, it does seem that, sooner or later, we’re all going to be moving places in electric cars.

To get to the earlier question though, when will that happen? Well, following a report via TheNextWeb, the European Union Parliament has just proposed a new law that could potentially see fossil fuel-based cars banned by 2035.

EU Issues Fossil Fuel Car Ban Legislation

Now, it should be noted, at least at the time of writing, that this is just a proposal and, as such, it is still a long way off being confirmed into law for nations within the European Union. If it is, however, ratified, then by 2035 all cars that are manufactured within Europe will be required to be entirely electric. If it rolls off the production line with gasoline, diesel, or any other current fossil fuel engine, it will be deemed both illegal and unroadworthy.

The overall proposals submitted are primarily looking to achieve two key goals:

• CO2 motor vehicle emissions must drop by 55% by 2030, and reach zero by 2035
• Plug-in hybrids will remain classed as low-emission vehicles only until 2030

Bold… But Practical?

One of the biggest arguments against the mass adoption of electric cars largely falls into two categories. The first is down to infrastructure. If you’re going to have to have this many electric cars on the road, you’re simply going to have to provide more widespread charging functionality. What, for example, are people who live in highly condensed apartment units supposed to do? Dangle an extension cord from the window? – The second key factor, however, simply boils down to energy. We’re already struggling to make enough to suit our needs at the moment, let alone to handle millions of new electric cars thrown into the mix. And for all the people clamouring for us to go ‘100% green’ with electric cars, I daresay very few of them would be in favour of the masses of power plants (probably mostly nuclear) that would be necessary to handle them.

In a nutshell, I personally think 2035 is an admirable, but ultimately unachievable or at least impractical goal and, although certainly not popular, fossil fuel is probably going to be sticking around for a lot longer than that. – But what do you think? – Let us know in the comments!