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The Council of the European Union (EU) decided this Tuesday to prohibit, from 2035, the sale of new passenger cars with combustion engines, with only those with zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions being allowed.
EU environment ministers, meeting in council in Brussels, further agreed that, between 2030 and 2034, CO2 emissions from new cars must be reduced by 55%, compared to 2021 levels.
The approved text also provides, according to a statement, "a regulatory incentive mechanism for vehicles with zero and low emissions, which will be in force from 2025 until the end of 2029".
As part of this mechanism, as part of the 'Fit for 55' package (Goal 55), if a manufacturer meets certain benchmarks for the sales of zero and low emissions vehicles, it may be rewarded with less stringent CO2 emissions targets, the reference value set at 25% for cars and 17% for vans.
The document also addresses the issue of ecological fuels, predicting that the European Commission will present a "proposal for the registration of vehicles that operate exclusively with neutral fuels in terms of CO2, after 2035, in accordance with EU legislation, outside the scope of the norms of the fleet, and in line with the EU's climate neutrality objective".
The Objective 55 package is a set of proposals aimed at revising and updating EU legislation and creating new initiatives with the aim of ensuring that EU policies are in line with the climate objectives agreed by the Council and the European Parliament.
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Why don’t they let the people decide what cars they want ? They call it a democracy!!
By Jason O’Brien from Algarve on 28 Mar 2023, 14:03
Well, I assume that the EU will pay for all cost associated with this decision. I think that our fearless leaders have no idea what the consequences of this decision really are.
By Tom from Lisbon on 28 Mar 2023, 14:32
More climate change nonsense. By 2035? Yeah right LOL! Your climate nonsense will be over way before 2035. Everyone will know it's a huge LIE by 2035............
By aju from Beiras on 29 Mar 2023, 13:44
I find it hard to believe our leaders are so blind to the reality of the people that they think we can afford to get a new car. I mean look around the average car age is well beyond 10 years old, maybe not in the big cities but get out of the city and you will see most people don't have a new car and most people can not afford a new car. This is just wrong in my opinion. Stop flying private jets to climate summits where you cause more harm to the environment in a week than the average person does in a decade.
By andrea hogan from Algarve on 29 Mar 2023, 16:51
we will all pug our electric cars in at 8pm and the lights will go out. just more bla bla bla from the idiots in brussels
By ellis from Lisbon on 30 Mar 2023, 22:30
Climate change is occurring, and polls show the majority understand this. Our scientists working continue to provide us with sometimes an uncomfortable truth.
So action is required, but that action requires the consent, by the people that action is affecting. I think at the moment it is not seen as either fair nor practical.
The policy is always about emissions from the vehicle, but that is a limited view, it does not work in real life conditions.
A zero emission vehicle (less the emissions from manufacturing!) is one without its engine running. Even an electric car with a lithium battery, and its manufacturing emissions cost, will create 125 grams per KM for the first 8 years of its life. The battery has a warranty of 8 years .
If my car produces say 200 grams per KM, and the average KM for a car is 12,000 KM per year, if I only drive 6,000 KM then the figure would in practice be 100 grams per KM.
The reason this policy is unfair is it does not take into account how much the vehicle is used, and it should do!
The policy should take into account the vehicle used (year KM), and the number of grams per KM, also if applicable the emissions to create or manufacture the vehicle.
If the policy is seen as fair and informed, then people will support it, if not, then they will not.
The majority understand action has to be done, to deal with climate change, but let us make sure, the poor people of this world are treated fairly, and the size of your bank account is not the only thing that matters.
By Ian Dowdle from Alentejo on 31 Mar 2023, 09:48
>prohibit, from 2035, the sale of new passenger cars with combustion engines, with only those with zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions being allowed.
Hydrogen cars runs by combustion engines also, but have 0 CO2. So will it be prohibited or not? :D
By SS from Porto on 01 Apr 2023, 00:02
Here is a link to the actual regulation: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/03/28/fit-for-55-council-adopts-regulation-on-co2-emissions-for-new-cars-and-vans/
Here is a link to the vote on the regulation:
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/general-secretariat/corporate-policies/transparency/open-data/voting-results/?meeting=3943
As you can see, 24 nations voted in favor. 2 abstained, and only one, Poland, voted against. So, it was democratically decided.
Also, as you can see, the requirement for 100% reduction in CO2 emissions applies only to NEW cars sold beginning in 2035. and the 55% reduction from 2030 to 2034 also only applies to the total cars sold by a given manufacturer over that time, to allow for a reasonable transition by car manufacturers. In fact, the resolution notes that manufacturers who exceed the benchmarks for percentage of zero- and low-emission vehicles will be rewarded with a loosening of the emission percentages of total cars they sell.
No one is taking your current carbon-belching machine away.
As for the climate change denier, no response is warranted - that argument is long over. Climate change is real, and the elected representatives of nearly all European nations are united in carrying out the mandate given to them by strong majorities of the voting public in each nation. In the case of Portugal, measures to ameliorate damage from climate change are supported by an overwhelming majority of the public.
Facts matter.
By DAG from Other on 01 Apr 2023, 01:25
The fact remains, a petrol or diesel car is not polluting, unless the engine is running, so the number of KM driven each year matter. An electric car also pollutes, during the manufacturing process (to make one), in particular the cost and environmental damage of the lithium battery. Also cars pollute by shedding a mixture of plastic and rubber through tyre wear.
The difference between a petrol diesel car and an electric one is its power source.
They have wheels, steering, axles, seats, windows just the power source.
The question is why are conversions not being offered to owners of petrol diesel cars to make them electric, and the answer is car company's want you to buy a new one! If conversions were done at scale, with car manufactures involved, some help by the state, we could all be moving in an electric way much quicker.
The other questions are, why are electric cars so stupidly expensive, when other than the power source they are very much the same? Also why are cars offered that are able to achieve speeds way above national road speed limits?
The person who sits in their electric car, but does way above the anual KM per year, should not feel smug, also if they have a bank account that will not hurt after the purchase of an electric car, they should not feel smug!
Road maintenance, new roads, more cars on the road, accidents, infrastructure costs, disposal of old scrap cars, is it really green?
We need to consider all elements of policy, in Lisbon today there are protests by people unable to afford or find a home, maybe they have cars petrol or diesel I would bet, not electric?
By Ian Dowdle from Alentejo on 01 Apr 2023, 14:15
People seem completely unaware that 2035 is too late. Even if we started today it would be too late. Our ecosystem is doomed. Current temperatures in the Iberian Penninsula are a stark waring.
By Diogo F. from Lisbon on 02 Apr 2023, 18:19