People residing in member nations of the European Union will no longer be able to buy new cars that run on petrol or diesel, according to a rule adopted by the European Council on Tuesday.
“The council today adopted a regulation setting stricter CO2 emission performance standards for new cars and vans,” said the official press release. “The new rules set the following targets: 55 percent CO2 emission reductions for new cars and 50 percent for new vans from 2030 to 2034 compared to 2021 levels. One hundred percent CO2 emission reductions for both new cars and vans from 2035.”
The deal faced a hiccup when Germany—the bloc’s biggest car market and manufacturer—sought to extend new combustion-engine car sales beyond 2035 for vehicles running on synthetic fuels. A deal was reached late Friday that allowed for this exemption, providing a lifeline for conventional vehicles, although e-fuels are not currently produced at scale….