EU relaxes emission targets, share of electric cars may decline

Electric vehicles could account for around 85 percent of new car sales in the European Union by 2035 if EU plans to ease the de facto ban on the sale of new combustion engine models are implemented.

However, according to Transport & Environment (T&E), an organization dedicated to clean transport, this share could fall to as low as 50 percent in some scenarios.

In December, following pressure from the automotive industry, the European Commission proposed a target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from new cars and vans by 90 percent by 2035 compared to 2021 levels. Originally, zero emissions were planned for all new vehicles.

T&E called the move the EU's biggest retreat from green policy in recent years and warned that it would allow the continued sale of high-CO2 cars at a time when Chinese manufacturers are making significant progress in battery electric vehicles.

The Commission has stated that the proposals will support the sale of electric cars and save manufacturers around €2.1 billion over three years, which should create room for innovation.

According to the T&E report, car manufacturers could sell between 5% and 50% of vehicles without electric drive after 2035, with the most likely share being around 15%. The organization also warns that CO2 emissions from cars will be 10 percent higher between 2025 and 2050 than under the current stricter rules.

(reuters, max)