Back in July of 2021, the European Commission—the executive body of the European Union—adopted a slate of proposals designed to lower the EU's greenhouse gas emissions. Called the Fit for 55 package, it called for a 55-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and a 100-percent reduction by 2050. For vehicle users, perhaps the most standout proposal in the package was a requirement that 100-precent of all new cars and vans be zero-emissions vehicles by 2035.
It’s now June, 2022, and this part of the proposal just took the next step toward becoming reality as of June 8. That’s when members of the European Parliament (MEPs) met to discuss matters in Strasbourg, France. The body voted in support of an E.U. ban on the sales of all new gasoline and diesel cars throughout the 27-nation group, effective as of 2035. The measure passed with 339 votes for, 249 against, and 24 abstentions in total. MEPs also signed off on a requirement of a 55 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from automobiles by 2030, which is where the “Fit for 55” initiative gets its name.
