Mobility of the future
How long is left before the end of the petrol engine?
18.10.2021
Europe is aiming to become the first climate-neutral continent. Among other things, no new petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles are to be registered throughout the EU from 2035. But what other solutions are being mooted, and how realistic is the EU’s ambitious plan to reduce its CO2 emissions?
The EU plans to2-Reducing emissions from new vehicles to zero in 2035. marking the end of the road for the internal combustion engine. New registrations are only available for purely electric cars and for vehicles powered by hydrogen, synthetic e-fuels or biofuel. This plan is part of the massive “Fit for 55” project, which takes its name from the EU’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, relative to 1990 levels.
Polluting to become more expensive
If a company CO2 in the atmosphere, it must have the right to do so. These so-called “emission rights” or “carbon allowances” are issued in the form of certificates. Permissible CO per tonne2 there is one certificate, which currently costs around 55 euros. As part of the “Fit for 55” project, the market for pollution rights is now severely limited, which means the price of one tonne of CO2 increase. The system will also include the CO2 released by fossil fuel-burning airlines and shipping companies for the first time. Individual citizens aren’t permitted to take part in the system themselves, but can voluntarily pay compensation to account for their own emissions.
How do you expect the plan for climate-neutral transportation to be implemented?
The EU considers imposing “fleet-wide thresholds” on vehicle manufacturers to be the most significant mechanism for making transport climate-neutral. On average, the vehicles must be 95 grams of CO2 per kilometre. Each gramme released above that limit would incur a massive fine, with the exact amount to be calculated based directly on the number of vehicles sold per year. A car company can use its CO2-Reduce values by selling many battery-powered vehicles. The CO2-Emissions of electric cars are set at 0 grams/km, and electric cars count twice for a car manufacturer’s fleet consumption.
A second initiative calls for implementing new tariffs to prevent simply shifting the problem, i.e. the release of emissions, to non-EU countries. This new climate policy instrument will allow certain goods produced outside the EU to be imported with a CO2-Price surcharge. thus ensuring a level playing field for producers based within the Union and beyond its borders.
«Tariffs should prevent outsourcing the CO2 problem»
Still no decision...and yet more obstacles
The greatest obstacle facing “Fit for 55”, and with it the blanket ban on selling fossil fuel-burning cars by 2035, is the fact that it’s still a plan; nothing has been set in stone.. There’s still the whole legislative process to come, and every EU member state has to agree to it. It’ll be fiercely resisted in some countries, that’s for sure. But that’s not all; there are another two main stumbling blocks to deal with.
Differing timeframes While e.g. B. Denmark wanted to introduce a ban on combustion engines as early as 2030, but France wants to give itself time until 2040. Other member states, including the Republic of Ireland, Slovenia and Sweden have been following the same timeframe as Denmark so far. Individual metropolises are also creating facts: Paris will have a complete ban on diesel from 2024, while Amsterdam wants to ban all petrol and diesel engines from 2030, including motorcycles and scooters.
For some, combustion engines are being phased out too quickly; for others, the process is taking too long. And this is being reflected on a political level, too, particularly in party politics. Even Greenpeace, to name but one organisation, has come out against “Fit for 55” for its perceived lack of expediency. Greenpeace’s main complaint is that 2035, the year touted as the end of the internal combustion engine, is no earlier than when most European car makers had already planned to phase those motors out anyway.
Used cars: Experts are unanimous in their opinion that banning all petrol cars already on the road from 2035 onwards is completely unrealistic. Governments would also have a hard time putting a stop to the trade in second-hand cars.
«“Too fast/too slow” as a point of contention»
Conclusion: End of petrol cars in the balance
“Fit for 55” is a massive project that has to overcome some equally massive obstacles. On top of that, in addition to transport, this plan also includes the building sector for its CO2-Emissions. This will affect practically every citizen as a road user, home-owner or tenant. Expect a lot of vocal protest from all sorts of angles..
On the other hand, it is clear that the time of “that’s going to be somehow” is over. There’ll be no way that the EU Commission’s lofty goals if nothing changes and everything is done for convenience. Every single person will have to make fundamental changes to their daily routines – and that’s undoubtedly the highest price to pay.
Mobility Transitioning to having a fleet of fully electric cars by 2030 at the latest and becoming climate-neutral as a whole company by 2040 are core components of Mobility’s strategy. This means that we’ll meet the targets set in “Fit for 55”, and then some. However the EU project develops, there is no need for Mobility to make any adjustments.
«The targets are only achievable if people change their behaviour»